


Empires of Faith

by spirithorse



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 17:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 47
Words: 85,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1193382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Forced into a life of hunting by the death of their mother and their father's need for revenge, Lelouch and Nunnally continue on with the family business in the name of saving the world and saving themselves. (a Code Geass/Supernatural fusion)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was a series of drabbles on my tumblr (eachainn.tumblr.com). I've transferred them over here for archival purposes. While there aren't really any pairings, there are hints of some scattered throughout. The most common one would be Lelouch/Suzaku. Also, I don't really have plans to continue this on from where I stopped, mostly because nothing in season 9 has really caught my attention.

“You’re deserting us.”

Lelouch glared at his father. He wasn’t going to be the first to look away, not after the level statement that his father had made. Then again, since Marianne’s death, nothing that Charles had said had ever been anything but a statement or an order. They had been trained to be soldiers, to follow Charles’ orders into certain danger, and Lelouch was tired of it all.

He was tired of having to move from town to town. Tired of being dragged on hunts when all he wanted to do was to go back to school and learn. Tired of Charles trying to mold him into a carbon copy of himself. It was bad enough that Charles encouraged Nunnally to be more like her mother, to try and emulate Marianne in everything, even if it made Nunnally completely miserable. Nunnally shouldn’t have even been hunting, but she did because she wanted to make her father happy, wanted to ease the nearly constant arguments between them and because she wanted to save people.

Lelouch clenched his hands into fists. The latter reason he could understand, and it was the only reason that he had not raised his voice about Nunnally hunting, but he had no such qualms himself. He wanted out of the life before it took him over like it had taken over his father or before it could kill him. Lelouch didn’t care where, he just wanted out. He had been given little glimpses of what life could be and he wanted all of it fiercely. But, once again, his father was standing in his way.

He looked back at the paper that was lying on the motel table, glad that Nunnally was still at school. She didn’t need to be witness to this fight. She didn’t need to know until he was sure.

“No.” Lelouch cleared his throat. “I’m going to college.”

“It’s the same thing.”

“It isn’t!”

“You’re leaving us. What would your mother say?”

“She can’t say anything because she’s _dead_!”

Lelouch knew he had gone too far when his father went still, the kind of stillness that he had grown familiar with on hunts. This was Charles Lamperouge before he attacked. Lelouch took a step back before he had processed the move, automatically reaching back for some kind of weapon. Unfortunately, he had put his back to the door immediately when he had walked in and had seen Charles looking over his college acceptance letter, just to be sure that he could escape. It had been a bad move, a move that would have gotten him killed if he was hunting. And he hated that hunting was the first thing he thought of when he felt threatened. Everything in his life was hunting and he just wanted it to stop.

Charles stood up slowly, Lelouch cowering back as his father loomed over him. As usual, Charles didn’t touch him, he just spoke carefully. “Is this the way you are going to respect her memory? Your mother was murdered.”

“That’s not my fault.”

“I didn’t say that. I just said that we need to respect her memory and avenge her death, so this doesn’t happen to other people.”

Lelouch doubted that Charles meant the last part, but years of telling Nunnally that their job was to save people had rubbed off. He snorted and looked away. “What of it?”

“You want to turn your back on the people who gave you everything.”

“You’ve given me nothing! I can’t use any of this in my life.” Lelouch gestured at the duffel bags in the room, the ones that were filled with guns and salt. “I’d be locked up in jail. There is _nothing_ you have given me that I want. So I’m taking it for myself. I have a full ride and you won’t see me again.”

“Is that so?”

Lelouch looked over his father carefully. Aside from the looming, there was nothing, no sense of challenge anymore. That alone made him bold enough to straighten himself to his full height, not enough to intimidate, but enough to put him on equal footing. Charles couldn’t do anything to him now, not with escape looming so close on the horizon.

He puffed out his chest, making sure to smile as well. “Yes.”

“Fine then.” Lelouch blinked rapidly as Charles sat back down at the table, his father sliding the acceptance letter towards him. Lelouch stared at his father for a moment before stepping forward and taking it.

For a moment, he had been frightened that Charles would have torn the letter apart or burned it, just the kind of showy gesture that Charles would have preferred. Instead, Lelouch had gotten his way without an argument. It was almost enough to make him celebrate because his chance to escape was so close he could nearly taste it.

Lelouch turned around to leave the motel room when Charles tapped on the table with a finger. “Hold on.” Lelouch turned to look at his father, freezing at the confident look still on the man’s face. “If you go, Nunnally has to stay.”

“What?”

Charles nodded slowly. “I doubt the two of you will get into the same college or even want to go to the same ones. That will be hard to keep track of the two of you between hunts. And then, what if Nunnally wants to leave as soon as she’s done as well? I’ll have to keep track of the two of you.”

Lelouch clutched the letter to his chest. “What are you saying?”

“If you go to college, Nunnally has to stay with me. You don’t get to try and take her out of the life, she always comes back.”

Lelouch’s eyes widened at the thought of his sister stuck hunting. Nunnally could do it, he was sure of that, but he didn’t want think about what would happen to her. He had meant hunters who had made it to old age and it was never pretty. They were all broken men, in spirit and in body. Lelouch could never imagine Nunnally without her laugh, without her spirit. Both were sure to be destroyed completely if she kept hunting. The major reason that he was going to college was to start a better life for them. He would graduate college, get a job and get Nunnally away from their father, away from yellow-eyed demons and revenge, far away from everything that could get her killed.

He shook his head. “You can’t do that.”

“I can.”

And the horrible thing was that Lelouch knew that his father would carry through with his threat. Charles was unstoppable once he set his mind to something Charles wouldn’t let go of it, like getting revenge for his mother’s death. Lelouch would be able to go to college, to live out his dreams of something beyond the next salt and burn, the next round of shells, all at the price of his sister’s life.

The price was too steep.

Lelouch bit back a shout of frustration, but he wasn’t able to keep himself from throwing the letter back at his father. “Fine! I’ll stay. But you have to promise that when-”

“If.”

“ _When_ she decides what she wants, you will let her go.”

“Of course.” Charles smiled, the expression making Lelouch shiver. His father bent over to pick up the paper. He waved it in front of Lelouch’s face. “We won’t speak of this again.”

Lelouch just nodded, dropping his gaze to the floor. He kept his gaze glued there as he heard his father moving around, the door to the motel opening and closing. Lelouch closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. Nunnally would be home soon and he had to pretend that everything was alright. Thankfully, he had gotten enough practice with that over the years from hiding wounds and hiding the truth from his sister. It wouldn’t be easy , but he would get over the disappointment in the end. He had always managed to before.


	2. Chapter 2

Nunnally rested her arm against the edge of the window, closing her eyes to the breeze on her face.

It was one of their rare off days, the ones that Lelouch would spend heading to their next hunt or back to Schneizel’s house for a hint. Still, their destination wasn’t fixed, they could wander off anywhere if they wanted to. That was part of the joy of being on the road, the way it felt like home. It would never be the same as Stanford, as life with Justin, but she was getting used to life on the road again. The life that she had never thought she would go back to.

She tapped her foot to the time of the music that was playing on the radio, not having to look over to know that Lelouch was smiling. As much as her brother resented the life that they had both been raised into, it was still theirs, still the one that was littered with good moments between them. _Those_ were the things that she chose to remember and cherish, not the moments when their father had shouted at them or left them alone for days on end. Those days had been filled with laughter, even though there hadn’t been much to laugh at. Lelouch had taken care of her, and that’s all that mattered to her.

Nunnally hadn’t missed hunting while she had been at college, she had missed Lelouch.

It wasn’t all that she had missed, but it had been the one thing that she had wanted above all else, the companionship of someone who had understood her completely.

Then again, she had also missed the hunts. Not the killing part, but the sense of accomplishment, the idea that she could do something to help the world. It was a small thing, but she loved to see the look of gratefulness on the faces of the families she helped. They hadn’t been able to save Marianne, but they were able to save others, and that was what mattered above all else. It was what they did, they saved people.

Some ridiculous pop song came on the radio, Nunnally catching sight of Lelouch moving out of the corner of her eye. She reached out to catch his arm before he could change the channel, giving his wrist a warning squeeze. “Don’t you dare.”

Lelouch took his eyes away from the road just long enough to give her an incredulous look. “Nunnally, this is crap.”

“I like this song.” She remembered Justin dancing along to it in the kitchen of their apartment every time it had come on. Justin had attempted to belly dance a couple of times, giving up when Nunnally had laughed at him. Instead, they had waltzed, almost a frantic pace, to the music.

Perhaps it had been a reflection of the way she had been attempting to live her life, as best as she could in the rare moments of happiness that she had gotten. But they had lived too fast, too much at once. Nunnally should have known that it would have never lasted. But it was something at least.

Lelouch just rolled his eyes and placed both hands back on the steering wheel. “Fine, but you’re going to owe me later.”

“Alright, I’ll let you listen to your crap when you want to.”

Lelouch sputtered while Nunnally laughed. She turned her face to the open window again, closing her eyes and trying to recapture the memory of that frantic waltz that she and Justin had done in the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

"I thought that I would see one of you here." Charles turned around to face the demon, glaring at him as he smiled. "But I didn’t think that it would be you."

"I’m full of surprises."

"As I expected." The demon looked around him, toeing the line of the summoning circle. "But you didn’t just call me down here to chat, did you? And we wouldn’t have the time in any case, not with your little boy up there dying."

Charles clenched his hands into fists, keeping his mouth shut. The demon didn’t have to know how much he wanted to save Lelouch, how desperate he was to keep him alive. Lelouch was the only one he could depend on to keep the world in order, especially with what Nunnally was. He couldn’t even be sure that his daughter would be able to act against the demon. For all he knew, she was one of them already.

And he couldn’t just let Lelouch die, not when he remembered how Marianne had been with him when Lelouch had first been born. How she had cradled him in her arms and smiled up at Charles.

In the end, he would always have a soft spot for his son, although he did his best to bury that idea down deep. As a hunter, he had no time for personal feelings. There were more important things than his own life, than all their lives.

He had simply acted before Nunnally had gotten the chance to get desperate enough to act on her own. She would have played right into their hands. Charles was not going to lose everything he had worked so hard to keep just because of one girl’s weakness.

Charles took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax a fraction as he drew the Colt out of his pocket. He nearly threw the gun onto the nearby table. “Take it.”

The demon glanced over at the gun, raising an eyebrow. “And?”

"Bring Lelouch back."

The demon pursed his lips, rocking back onto his heels. The demon seemed to consider the idea for a moment before he shook his head. “I can’t do that. It’s a bit beyond me at that price.”

"Then what else do you want?" There was no way that Charles was going to let everything slip away from him because of one demon.

"Your soul." The demon seemed amused by the fact that Charles jerked back slightly. "It’s the standard currency, and it will give me just enough power for this job."

Charles didn’t hesitate before nodding. In the larger scheme of things, Lelouch was more important than he was. Charles wasn’t sure he would be able to kill Nunnally in the end. He could barely look at her without seeing Marianne in her. But he trusted Lelouch to follow orders, he had trained his son to know better despite their arguments.

"Fine." The demon took the Colt, tucking the gun away into his jacket. "And I’ll be nice. Say goodbye to your children, it’ll be the last you’ll be seeing of them."

The demon disappeared, Charles taking a deep breath before turning from the room.

If he thought too much about what he had to do, he might call the demon back and take back the deal. He was not ready to die, there was more to do. Lelouch might have been trained for the job, but Charles needed the satisfaction of witnessing the death of the Yellow-Eyed Demon himself. For Marianne’s sake, he would sell his soul for his son. It was the only gift he could give Lelouch.

Charles lifted his chin, ignoring the sinking sensation in his stomach. There were more important things to do. He had Lelouch’s last orders to deliver.

—-

Lelouch lay back in bed, breathing slowly. He could barely believe that he was alive again. For a few moments, when the reaper had spoken to him with yellow eyes, he had thought that he was dead. Lelouch shivered and closed his eyes. He was unable to keep a smile off of his face when he felt Nunnally stroke the back of his hand.

She hadn’t left his side since he had woken up, just sitting silently to keep him company. Lelouch turned his head to the side, the closest he could get to curling his body towards her. Everything still hurt, enough for him to wish that he still had the same disconnect he had when he had been a ghost.

The sound of heavy footsteps made Lelouch open his eyes. He grunted and pushed himself upright, his eyes widening as he saw his father standing at the door. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, reaching for Nunnally’s hand. He didn’t know why his father was coming to visit him now, not after Nunnally had told him that Charles had been working on a way to kill the demon even while Lelouch had been slipping away. Lelouch had known how driven his father was, but he had expected more of him, especially when Lelouch had stuck by him despite of all of his own plans to leave.

"Nunnally, leave."

Lelouch reached for Nunnally’s hand, but he was too slow. Accustomed to obeying Charles, Nunnally left Lelouch’s side and walked out into the hall. Lelouch pulled his hand back with a frown, settling on glaring at his father as Charles walked into the room.

Charles sat heavily in the chair that Nunnally had deserted. “Don’t look at me that way, boy.”

"Why shouldn’t I? From what I heard, you couldn’t care less if I was looking at you at all."

"Don’t you say that."

"Why? Because you’re my father." Lelouch snorted and looked away. "We spent a year looking for you. A _year_. And you were just going to keep avoiding us. Do you even know what Nunnally lost because I dragged her back into this? And she won’t be going back now, not until she gets that damn demon. You’ve turned her into you.”

"And you’ll watch over her."

"Of course I will." Lelouch settled back against the pillows, looking at the wall instead of his father. "I’ve never stopped. I was the only one that actually cared about the two of us. You were too busy chasing after our dead mother."

"Don’t talk about Marianne like that." Lelouch just snorted, waiting for his father to leave the room. Instead, Charles leaned forward, resting one hand on the bed. "Lelouch, I know we don’t get along-"

"Understatement."

"Listen to me." Charles actually shook him, Lelouch flinching. He reached down and slapped at Charles’ hands. His father just stood up and leaned over the bed. "You listen to me, because this isn’t one of those times you can ignore me. You _have_ to watch out for Nunnally, not because she’s your sister, but because she’s something different. She could be a monster.”

Lelouch gaped at him, unable to come up with anything to say to his father.

Charles took advantage of his silence, plowing on. “The demon did something to her, made her swallow some of his blood. He’ll be coming back for her one day, so I need you to watch her. If she ever turns on you or goes with him, you kill her.”

"No!"

"You will or else everything we worked for has been for nothing! If you can’t do it for me, then do it for your mother. Marianne wouldn’t have wanted Nunnally to be a demon."

Lelouch slumped. “Why me?”

"Because you know her better than anyone." Charles got up, resting a hand on Lelouch’s head like he had done when Lelouch was little, before their lives went to hell. Lelouch huffed and slapped his father’s hand away, surprised when his father just smiled.

He looked down at the sheets, listening as Charles left the room. He could hear his father speak briefly to Nunnally before walking down the hall, back to his own room. Lelouch snorted and rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t get his mind off of what his father had said. There was no way that he would kill Nunnally, but he would watch her. His father wouldn’t have lied to him, not about something that involved the demon.

A ruckus in the hall made him look up. Lelouch hesitated before easing himself out of the bed. He winced as his feet hit the floor, reaching for the wall to support himself. Lelouch pulled himself along the wall and out into the hall in time to see a nurse pull Nunnally out into the hall.

His sister swayed in place for a moment before spotting him, running towards him. “Lelouch!”

He reached out one arm for her, catching her as she ran into him. Lelouch hid his wince the best he could, holding Nunnally against him as he looked down the hall. “What’s going on?”

"It’s Father. He’s-" Nunnally shook her head and pressed her face into his chest.

Lelouch looked down at her before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Show me.”

She helped him down the hall, Lelouch using both her and the wall to keep himself upright. They managed to make it to the room just as the doctor stopped attempting to start Charles’ heart, the nurses stepping back as the doctor looked at his watch.

"I’ll call it. Time of death: 10:41 am."

Nunnally shivered before tucking her head against Lelouch’s shoulder. He could feel her tears through the thin hospital gown, but he didn’t make a move to run his hand down her back. All he could do was stare at the still body of his father and whisper, “What did you do?”


	4. Chapter 4

Lelouch had heard many things about his mother from his father. How she had been the most perfect woman ever. How she could do anything that she tried, go from fixing the car to ready for a formal party within minutes. Marianne had been intelligent, beautiful and everything that any man had wanted.

What he had remembered were the lullabies that she had sung to him and the few pieces of advice that she had given him because he had repeated them all to Nunnally. Lelouch didn’t even really remember her face, but that was why he had a picture of the two of them. He remembered the quiet moments not the overall woman, but those had gotten fuzzier as the years had gone on.

Now, stuck in wherever he was, he got to see the whole woman and remember everything that he had loved about his mother. He had seen how she had run the house even without his father looming in the background, and realized how much of that had been Marianne alone. He had seen her up to her elbows in dirt as she gardened and then smeared in grease as she fixed up her car. All with a smile on her face. Lelouch didn’t remember his mother smiling that much when he was young, at least not until Nunnally had been born.

Whatever this place was, it was a perfect world.

Lelouch looked around the table at the restaurant that they were sitting at, his gaze lingering on his mother for a moment.

She had done one of whirlwind changes that he had heard about from his father, going from ripped jeans and stained from yard work to an elegant orange dress. Marianne had gone from the woman that he knew from his childhood, the mother that wasn’t afraid of getting completely messy to the woman his father must have seen so many times. Lelouch smiled, completely over the initial fear that he had woken up with.

Marianne was on his left and Nunnally was across from him, full of smiles and laughter. It was a far cry from the Nunnally that Lelouch had gotten used to. What was better was the way that she was still holding Justin’s hand, and it wasn’t the clutch that spoke of fear. It was comfortable and almost accidental. Lelouch would have given anything for this Nunnally back, the one who had gone through college and was heading on the track to become an English teacher, all with her boyfriend at her side. At least in this world Justin Moore was alive, well on his way to becoming a lawyer and not dead from being burnt on the ceiling of the apartment because of a demon. In fact, there were no signs of demons in this world.

Lelouch startled as someone rested a hand on his arm, remembering to smile as he turned his head to look at the woman who was sitting next to him. He wanted to marvel at her as well, but he had to remember to act normal. He had frightened everyone already when he had freaked out and he didn’t want to ruin this second chance that he had gotten.

He leaned into the touch, feeling Sabrina squeeze his arm briefly before turning to the waiter as he came over, rattling off her own order and his own perfectly. Lelouch gaped at her, surprised when Sabrina reached back over and gently tapped on his chin. “Manners Lelouch.”

Lelouch closed his mouth to the laughter as the other members of his family, not even bothering to bite back a reply. He just smiled at Sabrina, too happy to even obsess over the fact that she was a stranger. She was perfect in every way for him and, for once in his life, Lelouch just wanted to exist.

“Wow, I never thought that anyone would get my brother to be quiet.” Nunnally leaned forward, giving Lelouch a smile before turning her attention to Sabrina. “Can you just marry him now?”

“Nah, I’m an old fashioned girl at heart. You’ll have to wait for him to propose.”

“But that’ll never happen.”

“Nunnally!” Lelouch blushed. “It has to be romantic at least.”

They laughed again, but this time Marianne came to his rescue. She patted his hand, looking over at Nunnally. “Play nice you two.”

“But we are.”

Marianne attempted to glare at them, but didn’t quite manage to look threatening because she was smiling. Lelouch leaned back in his chair, laughing along with Nunnally as he watched everyone interact.

This was what he had wanted for Nunnally, for everyone. This was the life he would have chosen if he had been able to get out of hunting. His father had been wrong; there was no shame in a life like this.

“Speaking of marriage.” Nunnally glanced over at Justin before holding up her left hand. Lelouch saw the sparkle of light off a gemstone, his mother already offering congratulations before Lelouch had even processed what it meant. He let out a shaky breath, shaking his head in wonder. Nunnally nodded at everyone, putting her hand back on her lap. “I can’t promise you grandkids this birthday, but maybe on another one.”

Marianne and Sabrina both got up, rounding the table to hung Nunnally as Justin beamed. Lelouch knew that he should have done the same, but he was stuck staring at Nunnally. His little sister living a _normal_ life, getting married, having kids. It was everything that she had ever wanted to do and she was getting to do it. All it had taken was his mother staying alive and everything could have been like this.

Sabrina sat back down next to him, Lelouch pulling her close and kissing her. He didn’t care that he didn’t quite know her, or that this world was not the one that he had been in before. Everything was as it should be and there was nothing to worry about in that. The little nagging feeling in his gut could be ignored, it had been ignored. This was the life that he was supposed to have, not one worrying about the things that came in the night or what had been done to his little sister. Nunnally was fine and that was two years of stress off of his back.

He pulled back, pressing his cheek into Sabrina’s hand as she pushed a piece of hair behind his ear. He met her gaze, admiring her green eyes when he was distracted. Lelouch twisted slightly in his seat, his eyes widening as he saw the girl again.

She was standing in the corner, gasping and jerking in place. Lelouch was sure that, if he was closer, he would have heard her calling for her father. And then, as suddenly as she had appeared, she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Lelouch didn’t bother to close the car door behind him, already running for the derelict town. He didn’t know what was going on there, but he had just gotten one of Nunnally’s visions to go to Cold Oak and Lelouch had not questioned it. Not after seeing that the Roadhouse had been burned down and not after Nunnally had suddenly disappeared.

He thought he heard Schneizel shouting for him, but Lelouch ignored it in favor of looking for his sister.

Nunnally just had to be around. He would tear through all the buildings in the town, kill any ghosts that came at him just to get to her. Schneizel wouldn’t be able to stop him. Schneizel wouldn’t be able to understand, he just thought they were trying to get Nunnally again, but he was more interested in the end game of the Yellow-Eyed Demon. Lelouch _needed_ to know that Nunnally would be alright.

Charles had told him that he would have to kill her, which was something that he would never do. No matter what his father ordered him to do, Lelouch would never harm Nunnally. There would be a way to figure out what to do to help her, Lelouch would do anything to make it happen.

A crash made him jump, Lelouch reaching for the gun at his hip. He had the presence of mind to raise a hand to Schneizel to tell him to slow down and look around. Lelouch glanced back to see Schneizel nod, the man already circling around to the left. They would have to work through the town methodically, much to Lelouch’s impatience. He tightened his grip on the gun and took a deep breath, forcing himself to concentrate.

He couldn’t just rush around, because he might miss Nunnally or get himself killed. He couldn’t die, not while his little sister needed him.

There was a shout. Lelouch spun to face the main street with his gun raised. He only kept it up long enough to determine that what was coming at him wasn’t a ghost but a human before he slid the gun back into its holster. Then he was running towards his sister.

“Nunnally!”

She jumped at the sound of her name, turning to face him. Lelouch thought he saw a relieved smile on her face as Nunnally stumbled toward him, clutching at her arm. His gaze dropped to the bloody sleeve on that arm, Lelouch almost ready to change course to find the person that had hurt his sister, but that could wait until he was sure that Nunnally was safe.

He was distracted from his mad sprint towards his sister by something moving in the shadows. Lelouch slowed down enough to see that it was a person, his eyes fixing on the knife that glinted in the moonlight. He almost stopped, Lelouch opening his mouth to shut a warning, only for it to come out as a choked out scream.

Nunnally didn’t get the message in time, Lelouch seeing her frown before her body jerked as the man stabbed her in the back.

“No!” He pulled out his gun as the man twisted the knife in Nunnally’s back before yanking it out. Lelouch fired off two shots, both of which missed as the man ran off. Lelouch cursed and threw the gun to the ground, not worrying about the man in favor of rushing forward to catch his sister before she fell into the mud.

Lelouch gathered Nunnally against his chest, brushing her hair out of her face with one hand as the other went to press against the wound. He flinched at the blood that he felt through her shirt, trying his best not to think about the space where his hand wasn’t supported by Nunnally’s skin.

“’louch?”

“I’m here.” Lelouch titled his head down to rest his forehead against Nunnally’s head. “I got the message, I’m here. You’re safe.”

There was no response, Lelouch swallowing and rubbing Nunnally’s back with the hand that wasn’t putting pressure on her wound. He felt her breath out against his face, just a short puff of air. He couldn’t feel anything else. Lelouch had to swallow around the lump that was growing in his throat before he could speak. “Stay with me, Nunnally. Just hang on and we’ll get you back. I’ll take care of you. You’re not going to die.”

He lifted his head to look around for Schneizel. The other man would need to drive so he could be back with Nunnally. He wasn’t going to leave his sister, not when she needed him so much. Not when _he_ needed her so much. “Schneizel!”

Nunnally slumped against him, Lelouch flinching and clutching her close. “Sh. I’m sorry. We’ll get you out of here, alright?”

There was just silence in response.

Lelouch choked down a sob, ducking his head to look at Nunnally’s face where it rested on his shoulder. His sister’s eyes were closed and he couldn’t feel her breath, he hadn’t since she had said his name. He knew what it meant, but he was not willing to accept the answer.

He gave her a little shake. “Nunnally? Nunnally answer me.”

She flopped limply in his arms, Lelouch staring at his sister’s body in shock.

It didn’t make any sense. He had done everything he could to give her anything she wanted. He had given up everything for her many times over, and Lelouch didn’t regret any of it. He had driven as fast as he could to get to her, hadn’t stopped looking from the moment she had disappeared. He had disobeyed every order from his father, every sane advice that he had gotten from hunters for his sister. All of that had to add up to something, it had to mean something. Because it couldn’t mean that he had failed to protect her.

But she wasn’t responding to him, wasn’t breathing. She was dead.

Lelouch dropped his head to Nunnally’s shoulder and screamed.


	6. Chapter 6

Lelouch slipped into the booth, sliding Nunnally’s order across to her. She didn’t look up from the case she was researching. Lelouch shook his head and reached across to push her hair out of her face. It was starting to grow a bit too long again; he would have to remind her to cut it.

"Can we make it to Cicero?"

Lelouch stared at her for a moment before sitting back and shrugging. “Where?”

"Indiana." Lelouch froze, sucking in a quick breath. Nunnally didn’t seem to notice, plowing on. "There’s a case there. Men dying horribly. It seems to be our sort of thing."

"Maybe not."

His quick answer had Nunnally looking up at him. She sighed and pushed the paper to the side. “Talk.”

"What?"

"Something’s bothering you. Talk."

Lelouch glared at her, knowing that Nunnally wouldn’t back down. He sighed and lowered his gaze, poking at the edge of the tray. “There was the time that I ran away…”

"Yeah, you made it across a couple of states before coming back in a panic."

"I actually only made it to Indiana. Met a girl." He closed his mouth before he could finish with ‘lost my virginity’. There were things that his sister would never know. "It didn’t end well because I…I panicked and left."

Nunnally nodded slowly. “And she’s in Cicero.”

"Yes."

"We’ll just avoid her then."

Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief and turned to work on his lunch.

—-

He should have known that his luck wouldn’t have held out. It was their life, one where they took all the hits and had to keep moving. He had thought that he would at least have Nunnally by his side, but she was off interviewing some other mother. He was alone at the park, watching some suspicious kids. Too many of the kids were acting weird, clinging to their mothers.

And then she had shown up, a girl holding onto her hand. Lelouch felt his mouth go dry, frozen in place when all he wanted to do was run.

It was just his luck that she chose that moment to look over at her. He watched as she frowned for a moment before recognition dawned. She raised one hand to wave. “Lelouch!”

He swallowed and waved. “Hello Shirley.”

She walked up to him, the smile still on her face. “Wow, it’s been eight or nine years since we last saw each other. How are you?”

"Alright. Doing better than before."

"I can see that." She gestured at his suit before looking down at the girl that was hiding behind her leg. "By the way, this is Isabel. Isabel, say hello to Lelouch."

The girl peeked out from behind her mother’s leg and muttered something that might have been hello. Shirley shook her head and rested a hand on Isabel’s head. “Sorry, she’s been in a shy mood lately. There’s been a lot of cops around here.”

"I’m here about that."

"The murders." Lelouch nodded. Shirley looked relieved. "That’s good. It’s staring to look like there’s a serial killer and I want to run before they start killing again."

"We’re on it."

"Of course you are. Come on by when you’re done. We can catch up."

Lelouch nodded, knowing that he probably wouldn’t. He just wanted to run away as fast as he could. Shirley was still the beautiful woman that he remembered, but he couldn’t stay, couldn’t be tempted with the idea of doing what his father never managed to do. He had tried during that week he had been away and done nothing but mess it up.

He stepped to the side to allow Shirley to pass, his gaze lingering on Isabel. He swallowed, suddenly needing to know the answer to one question. “How old is she?”

"Isabel? She just turned nine."

Lelouch jerked back, his eyes widening. He had been with Shirley nine years ago, back when he had been young and stupid. Their romance had been a whirlwind and the two of them had been completely caught up in it and the promise of forever that both of them had thought they had seen. It was entirely possible that he had left Shirley on her own with a child. His stomach twisted, Lelouch resisting the urge to press a hand to it to steady it.

To his surprise, Shirley just laughed and shook her head. “No. She’s not yours. I met someone else after you and…well he’s gone, but she’s his. I’m sure of it.” Shirley looked away for a moment before clearing her throat. Then her brilliant smile was back and Lelouch remembered why he had fallen halfway in love with her. “I’ll see you around then?”

Lelouch finally managed a smile. “Sure.”

—-

Nunnally leaned against the car as she watched Lelouch say his goodbyes to Shirley. She smiled to herself as she watched Lelouch crouch down to talk to Isabel, the two of them carrying on a lively conversation.

It was almost too easy to forget that they were both leaving. She could just be coming back for a quick visit on one of her breaks and Lelouch could be driving her back to school. Her brother would be back to Shirley and Isabel by dinner time and then, in the morning, he would go to his perfectly safe job.

Nunnally shook her head, frowning at her train of thought. It wasn’t right; they couldn’t go back to that kind of life, not with Lelouch running on borrowed time. But she couldn’t help herself.

Lelouch had always been trying to get away from what their father had planned for him. But he had willingly stepped down when Nunnally had expressed an interest in college and Charles had delivered his ultimatum; that one of them had to stay. Lelouch had always been giving up what he wanted for her without a complaint.

She bit her lip and looked down at the ground. He had given up the chance at a normal life and, now, his soul for her. And she couldn’t even give him anything in return. Lelouch should have been here with Shirley, he should have been living his own life instead of chasing after a way to stay alive for longer than a year.

If they managed to survive everything, Nunnally was going to push him back in the direction of a normal life, she promised herself that. Lelouch deserved that much.

Nunnally looked up as Lelouch walked back over, really smiling for what felt like the first time in weeks. He held up the keys. “Ready to go?”

She nodded and slid into the passenger’s seat, staring ahead as the car started and Lelouch pulled out of the driveway. She kept her eyes on the road, not looking back to see the two figures in the rear view mirror. Nunnally did break and look over at Lelouch, wanting to be sure that she was doing the right thing in her promise to herself.

If he didn’t look back, then she would think of something else for Lelouch after they were done. It was the least she could do. Maybe they could both go back to college and she would attempt to set Lelouch up on a date or two, something to swing him back into the kind of life that normal humans had.

If he did look back then she would sent him back towards Cicero. There was a family that Lelouch could easily fit into, easily be happy in. It was everything that he had wanted. Nunnally was sure that she could figure out a way to become a fringe element in Lelouch’s life, she had been one before and it hadn’t hurt. They both deserved something good.

Nunnally took a deep breath and looked over at her brother, waiting for a reaction.

Lelouch looked back.


	7. Chapter 7

Nunnally stood up on her tip toes, looking desperately towards the stairs for any sign of Lelouch. He and Alice had promised that they would return as soon as they found the Hand of Glory. In the meantime, she had been left to act as a distraction. Nunnally made a face and dropped back down, nearly falling over in her heels.

She glared at them, tempted to just take them off and throw them into a corner. Even when she and Lelouch pretended to be federal agents, she was in flats. She had lived her life in boots and tennis shoes and, while she could appreciate a good pair of shoes, the heels that Alice had let her borrow were beyond what she would have ever wanted to wear. The only upside was that it allowed her to be about the same height as Lelouch, which assuaged years of teasing.

Nunnally leaned back against the bar, her fingers closing around her drink. If Lelouch had been here, he would have been giving her a dirty look for having another drink so soon after the first. He would berate her for trying to get drunk, especially when they were on a job, but his argument wouldn’t really stand for two reasons. One, because Nunnally was sure that Lelouch had been drunk at least once and two because he was working with Alice on the upper levels, he didn’t have to be on the dance floor where Nunnally felt more like she was surrounded by sharks. Even now one of the bored young men was giving her what he thought was an inviting look. Nunnally rolled her eyes and downed the rest of her drink.

It had sounded like a wonderful idea, to go to a party and act as the distraction. While she didn’t quite trust Alice, the woman seemed to know what she was doing and Nunnally would accept that over stumbling around until she and Lelouch figured something out. There had been some part of her that had wanted to dress up for once, tired of going around in t-shirts and jeans and maybe a skirt if they had an off day. There were some days when Nunnally felt like getting dressed up and acting like a normal woman, if just to escape from her life for a while. Unlike Lelouch, she knew that she would always drift back. College had been a short distraction and a lesson. She could want a normal life, but she couldn’t actually have it.

She brushed a hand over the pink dress she was wearing, straightening out some of the creases as she looked back up at the stairs. It had seemed like a wonderful idea until they had gotten to the party and Nunnally had realized how many young men were there. Then Lelouch and Alice had gone to their plan, leaving Nunnally to continue to act like a gracious young lady to the nephews of the old woman that had brought them along. The nephews on their own were fine, it was the way they were with the rest of their spoiled friends that was going to drive Nunnally crazy. None of them knew how to behave around a woman.

It wasn’t that hard to look her in the eyes when they were talking to her.

Nunnally growled under her breath, quickly cutting the sound off as their patron came over. She smiled and slid her glass back onto the counter. At least she had had the time to finish her drink before the woman had come over; it was a little boost for the request that was sure to come.

The old woman patted her arm, gently guiding her away from the bar. “I was hoping to introduce you to Andreas.”

“Andreas?”

“The younger one.” The old woman pointed to the man who was joking around with his friends in a corner. Nunnally hid a wince as the old woman patted her arm again. “He’s so polite and all the girls around here adore him. But he hasn’t danced all night.”

“Of course.” Nunnally smiled and walked away, using the time she spent edging around the dance floor to look up towards the balcony.

Lelouch and Alice would have to hurry up, Nunnally didn’t know how much longer she could stand dancing with the ‘nice young men’ at the party. If she spent one more dance with them attempting to stare down her dress, she was going to pull out her gun and escape from the party no matter what the consequences were.


	8. Chapter 8

Nunnally doesn’t know how long she had knelt on the floor, but it was long enough for her skirt to be stained red. She was beyond caring though, she wouldn’t wear the skirt again anytime soon because of the stain, of what it would make her remember.

She looked up as she heard someone else coming through the house, her gaze darting to the knife that she had dropped on the floor, but she didn’t want to let go of Lelouch to do it. Let the demons come, she was beyond caring at the moment. She dropped her head to Lelouch’s shoulder and clung to him more tightly. Let them come after her now, she would be willing to give them what they wanted.

"Nunnally?"

She looked up at Schneizel called her name, not able to make a sound in response. Her cousin didn’t need one to find them, Schneizel stepping into the room and coming to an abrupt stop. Nunnally knew what kind of picture that they made, Nemo’s borrowed body sprawled out to one side, just outside of the pool of Lelouch’s blood. And she had to be covered in blood now because of the way that she had been holding her brother.

Nunnally cleared her throat, sitting up and pulling Lelouch into her lap. “Schneizel, they got him those,” she tried to curse, but there was no word that described what the hell hounds were to her at the moment, nothing harsh enough. Nunnally shook her head. “Those damn dogs got him.”

Schneizel just nodded, still staring at Lelouch. He was probably just as much in shock as she was. They had all gone in confident that Lelouch could duck out of his deal, either by fighting the demons and the hell hounds off or talking himself out of it. Lelouch had continued believing that up until the grandfather clock in the living room had struck midnight, and even then he had tried to talk Lilith out of taking his soul.

She cleared her throat, looking up at Schneizel again. “What do we do?”

"We cremate him."

"No!" Nunnally scooted a little bit away from Schneizel, leaning over Lelouch protectively. "We can’t. There has to be a way to bring him back. There has to be!"

"Nunnally-"

"I won’t let you burn him! He’s burning in Hell already. I won’t let you do that here."

She expected him to argue, surprised when Schneizel just nodded. He pulled up a chair, sitting in it as he stared at Lelouch’s body. “Then we bury him.”

"Not until we’re sure."

"A week."

Nunnally shook her head, opening her mouth to protest. A week wouldn’t be long enough, not to find what they needed. There had to be a way to return Lelouch’s body to its former state and then a way to drag Lelouch’s soul out of Hell. Looking up rituals and spells with that much power would take time, because they were bound to be buried so far deep into the lore that even Schneizel would have to stretch his resources to find them.

Schneizel cut her off, resting a hand on her shoulder. “He deserves the rest, Nunnally. A week, and then we let him go.”

Schneizel’s tone of voice brooked no argument, at least not at the moment. Nunnally nodded, although she didn’t turn over Lelouch’s body to her cousin. Instead, she carefully maneuvered Lelouch into a position where she could pick him up herself, grunting a little under the weight.

She turned away when Schneizel tried to help her. This was one thing that she had to do herself. She was going to work until she could fix this, because she was not about to let her brother rot away in Hell, not when it should have been her.

—-

Nunnally didn’t look up from the disturbed mound of earth as Kanon hammered the rough wooden cross into place. She clenched her hands around the fabric of her skirt, blinking away tears in her eyes.

They had been so close.

Nunnally hadn’t slept for days trying to find a way to bring Lelouch back before her time limit was up, Schneizel and Kanon both pitching in where they could. There had even been a lead, one that had sent them up to Pontiac, Illinois to meet with someone, only to find that the person with the information they had needed had died of a heart attack. There had been nowhere else to go from there and Schneizel had called it.

Lelouch wouldn’t be going back with them; he would be staying behind in a small forest on the outside of town with only a small cross to mark where he rested.

Nunnally dragged her arm over her eyes, barely paying attention as Schneizel and Kanon walked away. She would stay here until she was good and ready to leave. Schneizel had already taken Lelouch away from her, but he was not going to cut short the last chance she had with him. 

She leaned forward to pick up a handful of dirt, letting it run through her fingers. She supposed that now was the time to think of all the good times they had had together, but she could only think of trying to get Lelouch back. Schneizel didn’t have to know and neither did Kanon. She suspected that both of them thought that she would give up hunting altogether and move on with her life. But she wouldn’t be able to do that.

Nunnally tipped her hand over, shaking it to get rid of the dirt. She wouldn’t just leave Lelouch alone; she would visit when she could. She owed her brother that much.

"Nice necklace." Nunnally gasped at the voice, turning around to stare at the blonde woman that was reclining against the nearest tree. The woman smiled, flicking her fingers towards the necklace. "If I remember correctly, that was Lelouch’s."

Nunnally reached up to grab the necklace, curling her fingers around it to hide it from the woman. “It was.”

"So I can see." The woman sighed and walked over, dropping to a crouch in front of Nunnally. "I didn’t expect her to do that, we don’t usually share a human."

Nunnally’s eyes widened. No one knew what had happened before the hell hounds had attacked, she hadn’t told Schneizel or Kanon. There was only one other person who knew what had happened.

"Nemo?"

The woman nodded, rubbing the back of her neck. “I guess I have to make it up to you.”

"No."

"I gave you my word." Nemo frowned, making a disgusted face. "As much as I hate to say it, but we have to keep our deals. It’s a matter of integrity."

"Demon’s don’t have integrity."

"But you understand what I mean." Nemo stood up. "I’m not any demon’s best friend at the moment, and there’s no safer place than with you. But, you don’t trust me either after what happened to your brother. So I have to offer you a deal. Keep me safe and I’ll make sure you’ll be able to kill the demons who did this…and maybe more."

"More?"

"I don’t expect you want Lelouch to stay six feet under. Between the two of us, we could manage something to bring him back." Nemo offered her hand. "Is it a deal?"

Nunnally leaned back, staring at Nemo’s hand. The demon hadn’t quite betrayed her once, but she had withheld important information from her. Just because the situation was reversed didn’t mean that she could trust Nemo, both of them were desperate. But doing nothing would mean abandoning Lelouch, which was a kind of betrayal that she could never bring herself to contemplate. Her brother was her world, the thing that kept her centered and she _needed_ him back.

She bit her lip, looking at the grave instead of at Nemo’s hand. “You’ll help me kill Lilith.”

"I’ll deliver her to you on a platter. A little bit of payback for me and the vengeance you want." 

Lelouch would find something wrong with the deal, starting with the fact that it was another deal with a demon. He had told her, _begged_ her not to continue the cycle. But she couldn’t just sit around and wait, she wasn’t strong enough.

She looked up as Nemo took a step closer, the demon wiggling her fingers in Nunnally’s face. “Is there anything wrong with that?”

Nunnally reached out to grab Nemo’s hand, using it to pull herself up to her feet before giving it a firm shake. “No.”


	9. Chapter 9

He had failed twice already to contact the Righteous Man, but he was not too disappointed by his failures. He had been under orders to leave Lelouch Lamperouge alone until he had called. It was nothing more than curiosity and some lingering attachment to the human that Suzaku had tried to contact him before the summoning. He had thought that Lelouch would have been one of the special people that could hear his true voice, because Lelouch had been a miracle in all other ways.

Lelouch had survived thirty years in Hell being tortured before breaking, but Suzaku would never hold that against him. It was written that Lelouch would break and so it would be. Charles Lamperouge had never been destined to break, Lelouch had been the one secret that Heaven had had, the one thing that could one up Hell, at least until Lelouch had sold his soul. But Heaven had been prepared for that too.

Suzaku was still proud that he had been chosen, taken from his position to watch over earth to join the siege of Hell. He had girded himself for battle and charged in beside the rest of his brothers and sisters, knowing full well that he would probably die in the effort. He was just a foot soldier after all, no one special. It was his job to hold against the demons, to fight to clear a path to the Righteous Man. As long as more angels got past him he had done his duty.

But it hadn’t turned out that way. Suzaku had managed to push on when all those around him had fallen, even the captains who had been given the honor of retrieving the Righteous Man. Suzaku had watched the last one fall, standing by his brother’s side as the angel had crumpled under the onslaught of demons. Suzaku remembered getting mad then, tearing his way through the demons with his blade and wings, a creature of light and anger. Hell had burned brighter that day with the light of dying angels and his own fury.

And he had been the one who had found the Righteous Man. He had been the one to find the twisted, part demon that had once been human. He had been the one to stand before him, pulling Lelouch back from the soul that he had been torturing and throwing the knife away. Then he had grabbed the tormented soul before taking flight, twisting through the chains that had made up Hell. He remembered the screeches of the demons as he had flown out of their reach and the way that Lelouch had grabbed at him. Suzaku wasn’t sure if the soul had wanted to push him away or had been trying to cling, it didn’t matter. His mission had been accomplished.

He had been the one to pull the Righteous Man out of the pits of Hell, the one that would keep the apocalypse from happening, because he had the man that could stop it. He had saved the world. Even better, a lowly soldier had managed to piece together the broken body of the Righteous Man, although Suzaku had felt some doubt about his skills. Still, he had been given orders, to retrieve and revive the Righteous Man. He had followed the orders to the letter and then had returned to Heaven singing that Lelouch Lamperouge had been saved.

Now, he was being summoned, the one to meet the Righteous Man and tell him his mission. All from a lowly foot soldier. There was a chance for a promotion, one that Suzaku wanted badly. It was a chance to serve on the front instead of just remaining behind to watch. He wanted to save humanity, the race that God had told them to look after. Suzaku wanted to be there when the apocalypse was stopped and glory in a world saved.

He landed carefully, tucking himself back inside of his vessel. A storm was whipping up, a side effect of his excitement for the meeting. Suzaku wanted to banish it away, but he was sure that it would just appear again. He shook his head, carefully schooling his expression into something more acceptable. He was an angel, he didn’t get excited.

Suzaku extended his grace and shoved the doors to the barn open, striding forward in his borrowed body. 


	10. Chapter 10

Nunnally bit her lip, staring at the dashboard. She wanted to reach out and rub he leather under the window, but that was her usual tell and Lelouch would pick up on it quickly. Instead, she clasped her hands together and tried to keep her breathing steady. “Lelouch…”

“Just tell me the truth, Nunnally. Why do you keep picking her over me? What has Nemo done for you that made her so trustworthy?”

“She was there for me when I needed someone. Nemo was there when you were dead.” It took everything she had to keep her voice from cracking over the word. “Lelouch, I did everything I could to get you back, but nothing was helping.”

“So you started drinking demon’s blood?” She saw him roll his eyes out of the corner of her own. “How was that supposed to help?”

“I…I could have made those demons let you go. That was the plan.” It was a simplified version, but the truth nonetheless. Nunnally was sure that Lelouch didn’t want to know the real plan, the one where she killed Lilith. Her brother might have been mad at her, but he was still overprotective and that would not change.

Lelouch didn’t need to know how she had spent those four months chasing after every demon she could find, both for revenge and for training. He didn’t need to know how she had refused to keep in contact with Schneizel in fear that he would try and stop her. She hadn’t contacted anyone beyond the bare minimum to keep from being found out. Everyone would have reacted like Lelouch was, because working with demons had never helped them before.

“Nunnally, that’s not a plan.”

“It was the better one that we came up with.” Nunnally sighed and pressed her head back. “Lelouch, you don’t understand how desperate I was. You were gone and nothing made sense.”

“You survived when you went to college.”

“You were alive then. I could have found you if I wanted to.” Nunnally took a deep breath, relieved when Lelouch pulled the car over. She didn’t want to have to talk to the dashboard the entire time. She shifted in her seat, looking over at Lelouch. “I looked everywhere for you, Lelouch, anything to get you back and Nemo offered me the only chance that I could see.” Her gaze dropped to Lelouch’s left shoulder. “You can see how well that turned out.”

“Nunnally I…” Lelouch pressed one hand over where Suzaku’s mark was, an attempt to hide it from her sight even more than the layers he already had on. “You shouldn’t have.”

“What else was I supposed to do? You sold your soul for me, Lelouch. You can’t expect me just to sit back and let you go to Hell.”

“But a demon?”

She stared at her brother. Lelouch would never get over that point. Despite the fact that he had hated their father, there was still so much of Charles in him. He would never see supernatural creatures as anything but evil, a combination of their father’s training and a fear for her own safety. Nunnally wanted to reach out and pat his shoulder, offer some sort of reassurance, but it was better to keep their distance for now. She would encroach on her space until he invited her back in.

“Nemo saved me. She taught me how to hide from demons, how to fight them.” She paused as Lelouch scoffed, well aware of what he thought of the powers she had gotten. Nunnally bit her lip to keep from shouting at him, not wanting to turn her explanation into a full fledged argument.

He didn’t have to know how she hated drinking demon’s blood, but at the same time craved it. He didn’t have to know how it had burned the first few times; how she had sometimes gotten headaches so bad that she was useless for an entire day. He couldn’t know how close she and Nemo had gotten, because that concept was so foreign to Lelouch that he wouldn’t be able to process it.

“She was there when I needed someone there. She kept me from turning completely into our father. Would you have preferred that?”

“No.” His response was instantaneous, as she thought that it would be. Lelouch’s hands tightened on the steering wheel a moment before the steered the car back onto the road again. “But I won’t thank her for it.”

Nunnally sighed and sat back, eventually humming along to the music that Lelouch put on. Even with the little bit of forgiveness that she had been offered, Nunnally felt guilty. There was some part of her that felt bad for manipulating her brother, but there was just too much that she couldn’t tell him, not while he was on the defensive. She would start dropping hints more often, maybe when Lilith was dead. Lelouch would be more amiable to her explanation then, when he didn’t have to worry about the end of the world.

“So, who is this woman that your demon told us to see?”

Nunnally glanced down at her cell phone. “Well, it says that we’re looking for a patient of the Connor Beverly Behavioral Medicine Center.” Nunnally frowned at the mouthful that the name was, reaching out to smack Lelouch’s arm when he laughed at her. “Her name is Kallen Kozuki.”


	11. Chapter 11

The streetlight flickered as Suzaku landed, the angel not giving the light a second glance. He was far too focused on what he was about to do.

There were many things he should have been doing at the moment, like chasing after Carine and continuing their search. Angels were still being killed, angels from their garrison. With demons out breaking the seals as fast as they could be found, the angels couldn’t afford the losses that they were sustaining. Carine might not believe him, but it felt like punishment for the garrison’s failures.

Suzaku ducked his head and gritted his teeth. Of course, it was probably a punishment for his own failures. He had managed to mess up the devil’s trap that had contained Luciano, nearly losing them their Righteous Man, their one hope to end the apocalypse before Lucifer could be freed. He had completely failed to protect Lelouch then, nearly getting cast out of his vessel. The abomination had been the one to save them all, an idea that made Suzaku’s grace crawl.

And then there was the nagging sensation that he was being punished for things far beyond that. For the moments when he looked at Lelouch and didn’t see a tool for stopping the apocalypse but a fellow soldier, someone that could be equal to him. For the moments when he looked at Nunnally and saw a desperate young woman trying to protect her brother instead of an abomination. And those moments when he doubted.

For those alone he could be killed.

Suzaku slumped, torn between flinging himself back towards Heaven to lose himself in the glory there or retreating back to Lelouch and Nunnally. Instead, he reached out for the one angel that he had always turned to when he was conflicted. “Kallen?”

He tipped his head up, listening for her approach even as he reached out with his grace to see if he could feel her. She had come for him once before, right after he had sent Lelouch in to deal with Luciano. If that hadn’t been a sign that he could still turn to her then Suzaku didn’t know what was.

When nothing came, he closed his eyes. “Kallen please, I need-“

"What?"

Suzaku turned around, unable to keep himself from relaxing at the sight of his former captain. Now things would be different. Kallen had always known what to do and she had never steered them wrong when she had been in charge of the garrison. It was only after she had left that things had started to crumble. Suzaku couldn’t lead, he was made to take orders and none of the other angels had been able to fill the space.

He took a step forward, freezing when Kallen retreated. She gave him a wary look, Suzaku averting his eyes.

He kept his eyes on the ground when Kallen cleared her throat. “Come to kill me?”

"No!" Suzaku was surprised at the burst of panic that he felt at that, quickly schooling his expression to carefully calculated blankness again.

He must not have been completely successful, because Kallen gave him a look of shock before relaxing her stiff posture. “What do you want from me? 

"I…I don’t think what we are doing is right."

“ _You_ think?” Kallen laughed, leaning one shoulder against the lamp post. When Suzaku didn’t respond, she stopped laughing, staring at him instead. “You’re serious.”

"Yes. Nothing in my orders make sense. And doing the opposite of them feels…right."

"Good."

"No it isn’t." Suzaku nearly snarled out the words. He didn’t realize that he was fidgeting until he saw Kallen’s gaze follow his hand, only then realizing that he had run his hand through his hair. He jerked his arm back to his side, falling back to attention. He licked his lips, carefully keeping his voice level. "Our brothers and sisters are being killed. This isn’t the time for indecision."

Kallen pushed away from the lamp post, walking over to him. “You’re scared.”

Suzaku wanted to deny the statement, but he found that he couldn’t. It was all too true. He didn’t want the worst to happen, hated this indecision that kept him from acting. He hated the way he couldn’t even trust _himself_ to do what was right. Hated that he was being kept from Lelouch and Nunnally and that he was being kept from his place in the garrison because of the two humans. And the sharpness of the emotion frightened him, just as much as the idea that the garrison was being punished.

He looked down at the ground, watching Kallen’s feet as she approached him. “It will feel like that, but it gets better. I promise, it gets better.”

She reached out to touch his shoulder, Suzaku tensing before he could help himself. Kallen was still a danger to them, an unknown. And he was already trying to cope with whatever was wrong with him.

It was the wrong reaction, Suzaku looking up as Kallen pulled away. He flinched back at the disgust on her face.

“That’s right. You’re too good for my help. I’m just trash.” She sounded wistful as she spoke, Kallen staring at her hand. Suzaku swallowed, wanting to go over and comfort her, or as much as he could while stuck in the vessel. Here he couldn’t just exist close to her, but he could offer something.

As soon as he took a step forward, Kallen looked up at him, her hand clenching into a fist. When she spoke again, she was angry. “A walking blasphemy. That’s all I am to all of you. You don’t even ** _care_**! How long did it take you to replace me?”

"Kallen-"

"How long?"

Suzaku swallowed, desperately wanting to fly away from this conversation. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Kallen was supposed to tell him that he was doing something wrong, she wasn’t supposed to encourage him. She wasn’t supposed to have this kind of command over him either, she had been gone from the garrison for so long.

"Suzaku, how long?"

"As sure as we were sure that you had fallen and would not return."

"That fast?" Kallen scoffed, looking up to the sky and shaking her head. "Heartless bastards, all of you." She paused, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. "And I guess that you were the one that replaced me?"

Suzaku nodded, unable to stop himself from reaching out to her. “Yes, but not anymore. They don’t trust me. And now…there are many days that I…I don’t know what to do.” It was a relief to get the words out. He wasn’t meant to captain a garrison, he was just a soldier. This was right, appealing to his superior officer. Suzaku chanced a step forward, going to grab her hand. “Please tell me what to do.”

"Like the old days?" Kallen withdrew from him, shaking her head. "No.”

"I need orders."

"You had them and you couldn’t follow them."

"That was a mistake, one that I regret." Suzaku paused to take a deep breath, dropping all pretenses of keeping control. "Without orders I’m nothing. I was never meant to be an captain, I’m just-"

"A soldier." Kallen stormed forward, Suzaku scrambling backward to keep away from her. He stepped down from the landing he was standing on, his foot catching the edge of the stair awkwardly. Before he could right himself he fell over, sprawling onto his back.

Suzaku intended to get up, but Kallen beat him to it. She loomed over him, placing a foot on his chest and leaning into it. Suzaku flinched, thinking he heard a few ribs crack under the pressure as she leaned over him, glaring at him. “And that’s all you can ever conceive of being. Your captain, the one that had lead you to victories since the beginning of this planet, falls and you just step into her place as soon as she is gone without a qualm. You get sent to kill that same captain and regret it, not because it’s me but because you failed to carry out the order. You get a chance, a real chance at something better than Heaven and all its control and run away because you can’t be without orders. You can’t see yourself being anything but a hammer for God. Daddy’s little soldier!”

She disappeared before Suzaku could respond, leaving him laying on the ground and staring up at the sky. He took a deep breath, feeling his ribs protest. With a thought, he healed them, wincing when he remembered what he had refused Lelouch, all because there were more things to worry about. Daddy’s little soldier indeed.

He picked himself off the ground, Suzaku staring at the impression that he had made on the ground. It was all too easy to imagine wings burnt into the ground. He shivered and ducked his head.

He should have done what he could when he had first thought of disobedience, either gone back to Heaven to get himself fixed or let Luciano kill him when they had first attempted to get Kallen. But that wouldn’t have worked, because the secret to killing angels was guarded jealously. The only ones that could kill an angel was another angel.

Suzaku looked up at that, narrowing his eyes. He had been taught that long ago, with the addendum to be careful, just in case something changed over the millennia that he had been stationed on Earth. And, if the information had been leaked, he was sure that Lelouch would have gotten it. With the way that Carine insisted on threatening Nunnally, Suzaku was sure that Lelouch would have found a way to kill angels by now. But he hadn’t, he had been surprised about their existence and Luciano had said that he only knew how to send angels back to Heaven. If such a high powered demon knew nothing about killing them, then that left only one suspect.

Suzaku growled under his breath, sending out a call to Carine before returning to the warehouse. There were a few things that he wanted to look over.


	12. Chapter 12

_The old_ _room was as quiet as a graveyard at night, left to itself for years on end.  A few odds and ends were thrown haphazardly in corners by looters who had searched the house for the last remains of the family had lived there. But the looters had stopped coming, because there was nothing of value left. They had checked all the secret spaces and had found nothing of value._

He stopped writing long enough to reach for the water bottle he kept close to his desk, purposefully staying away from the whiskey. He had tried to drown out the dreams with alcohol once and it had just made them worse. And, after having worked so long in the local bar, alcohol just didn’t have the same appeal. He stared at it long enough all day that he didn’t want to stare at it when he got home as well.

He wiped the back of his mouth off, staring at the blinking curser. He had promised himself that he would go back to where he had left off the afternoon before after he finished with some of the opening scenes. He was not looking forward to tackling the next challenge for his protagonists, because it felt self serving. But he had also promised himself that he would follow his gut in the matter after the books had started to sell and his gut had never steered him wrong.

He stretched his arms over his head before bending over the keyboard again.

_But what Lelouch and Nunnally were searching for wasn’t what most people would find valuable._

—-

Lelouch snorted in disgust, shaking his head as he turned the page of the book. He was close to just throwing it across the room. No matter what the man at the comic book store had said, there was no way these books could gather a following. It was purple prose at its worst and just plain bad writing at it’s best. And they were invasive. Every little detail of his and Nunnally’s lives were written down in the books.

He looked up as Nunnally laughed, raising an eyebrow at his little sister. Nunnally just stuck her tongue out at him. “Well I think they’re good.”

"Even when they’re about us?"

"That’s a bit weird." Nunnally settled the book down on the table, her attention on her laptop. "But I think the fandom is weirder."

"Fandom?"

"The fans." Nunnally was typing on her laptop, stopping and spinning the machine towards him. "There’s actually a lot of fanfiction for the series and forums. The discussion on some of the aspects of the series is surprisingly in depth. Although…I could do without the Lelouch-slash-Nunnally shippers."

"Shippers?"

"People who want us together." Nunnally paused, giving him one of her looks. He knew that she was hoping that he would just get what was going on, but Lelouch was hopelessly lost. The only times he used the internet was to look up the lore that they needed. Nunnally finally caved with a sigh. "Like  _together_  together.”

"They  ** _what_**?!” Lelouch scrambled off of the bed, striding across the room as Nunnally leaned over to look at the screen.

She frowned, letting him take the laptop and begin scrolling through one of the stories on the screen. Lelouch felt his stomach turning a bit at the thought, looking up at his sister. He was surprised to see Nunnally just resting her chin on her hands. When she met his gaze, she just hummed. “They overestimate your flexibility.”

Lelouch shivered and slammed the laptop closed, placing it back on the table. He suddenly felt like he needed to shower, but he pushed the need aside to focus on the job at hand. “We need to find this guy.”

"Alright."

Nunnally got up to grab her jacket, Lelouch staring at the laptop for a moment more. He shivered again, turning to face his sister. “We’re never talking about this again.”

—-

Rivalz sat down heavily in his chair, looking at the two people that were standing in his living room. He hadn’t been expecting this, never in his wildest dreams. Even now he felt like running over to his computer and closing the document that he had been working on. There had to be some law about people knowing their future, right?

He cleared his throat and pointed at the two of them, trying to ignore the way his hand shook. “So, you’re Lelouch and Nunnally Lamperouge? And you know their last name despite I’ve never told anyone about their last name?” He waited for them to nod. “And you’re real?”

"Very."

Rivalz shivered under the glare that Lelouch gave him. It was one thing to invent characters, but another thing entirely to face them. And he had thought that he would have liked Lelouch. At the moment, he was sure that Nunnally was the better sibling to cuddle up to. She didn’t look like she was going to kill him and bury him where no one would ever find him.

He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Right. And you’ve been through all of…that?”

He gestured to his computer, amazed when they nodded. After being shown what they had in their trunk, after he had just finished writing this scene, he should have known better than to doubt what was going on.

Rivalz was sure that anyone else would have used the chance to question their characters come to life, but he wasn’t a writer. He had managed to sell some books, but he had never wanted to be a writer. At most, he had wanted to be a police officer. But his plans had all gone to hell when he had started to have dreams about Lelouch and Nunnally, followed by the compulsion to write everything down. He had only sold the books because his part time job at the bar wasn’t enough to keep him with a roof over his head and fed. All he could do was think of was a reason why he was the one who had gotten this job.

"Am I God?"

That finally got the glare off of Lelouch’s face. Lelouch looked taken aback, the older sibling exchanging a look with his sister. Rivalz laughed, about to try and push for an answer when Lelouch looked at something over his shoulder.

Rivalz turned around, staring at the man that had appeared in his living room. He knew that man too, although he had never suspected him to appear as well.

Suzaku stared at him levelly before walking over to pick up one of the books that Rivalz just left lying around. The angel thumbed through the novel, stopping on one passage before looking at Rivalz again. “He’s a prophet.”

"He’s a what?"

"I’m a what?"

Suzaku didn’t look too bothered by the questions, his focus back on the book again. “He’s a prophet of the lord, assigned to taking down the history of the Lamperouges. It will be important in the coming days. And, as such, he is to be treated with respect.”

Lelouch snorted, the sound making the angel look up and glare at him.

Rivalz shrunk back into his seat as he found himself watching the staring match between human and angel, the same staring match that he had been struggling to write in his newest novels. And he had been wrong about what it had looked like; it was more frightening than anything Rivalz had ever seen.

It looked like Suzaku might start smiting things if Rivalz didn’t do anything.

He reached out for the stack of papers on the table. He had meant to revise them and send them off to his editor. She had been bugging him for the newest set of novels since Rivalz had let slip that he had thought of continuing the series. At the bottom of the stack were the most recent pages. 

Rivalz held them out to Nunnally, relieved when she took the papers. “Would those help?”

Nunnally frowned as she skimmed over the page, reaching back to tug at her brother’s sleeve. Lelouch disengaged with the angel, looking over Nunnally’s shoulder.

Rivalz didn’t pay attention to the quiet conversation the siblings were having, he found that he could only look between the angel and the two humans.

He had no idea how he was going to get out of the situation. It had all seemed so simple when he had started writing. He should have just listened to his mother and had just gone to college. Everything would have been easier that way.


	13. Chapter 13

His mother had always told him that angels had existed. She had been far more Christianized than his father had preferred, but that hadn’t stopped her from whispering that angels were watching over him. He had liked the idea when he was little; it meant that he never had to be afraid. The idea had held less weight as he got older under the pressure of the old gods and the new.

He didn’t really believe angels were real until one talked to him while he was kneeling next to the puddle of blood that was leaking out of his father.

At first he had thought that the screeching was the sirens of the police, because one of their neighbors had to have called the police. Even if the shouting matches between him and his father were commonplace for the apartment complex, this one had been louder than usual. And his father had screamed when Suzaku had driven the knife into his stomach. 

Of course, he hadn’t meant to kill his father. It had just gone too far, too many insults and everything had been kept silent for too long. His father had slapped him, sending him stumbling across the room. For the first time, he had defended himself. He had grabbed the knife on the counter and had charged at his father. He had never meant to stab his father. He had just wanted it to _stop_.

It wasn’t until his father was dead and his panic had turned into resignation that the angel spoke to him.

First, it had been a high pitched screech before the sound settled into something like speech. He pulled his hands from his bleeding ears to stare at the radio that had crackled to life, tentatively scooting closer to the radio to hear the voice that was almost like a whisper.

The angel needed him, which couldn’t be true. He was a murderer. He was a nonbeliever. There were thousands of people that would be better than him. But then came the realization that he was special, that he was the one for the angel. He was sure that he should have felt happy, but it made him afraid. If he was the one that the angel then he would just end up tainting the angel.

Reassurances came quickly. It would be alright, but the angel was too forgiving. Still, it was too good to get out of his situation. He could do something with his life.

He licked his lips and sat back on his heels, considering how to word the terms. Finally he nodded. “Yes, but only if this is final. This is my penance.”

The angel agreed.

—-

Lelouch stared at the man that sat in the chair across from him, picking at the food that they had gotten for him. The man looked just like Suzaku, which wasn’t so much of a surprise; it was the angel’s vessel after all. Lelouch had just hoped that there would be more left of the angel. Instead of standing like a soldier, with all the confidence of someone who always knew what their next move would be, this man looked like he wanted to hide.

Even the clothes didn’t fit him. The black jacket with gold trim was more Suzaku’s than this man’s. As it was, the jacket was thrown over the back of the chair, leaving the white shirt visible. It was wrong, exposed. An angel without his armor.

Lelouch shook his head when Nunnally reached past him, resisting the urge to reach out for his sister and pull her back. She smiled at the man, all kindness despite the fact they knew nothing about him. “You should eat. How long as it been since you’ve last eaten?”

"Three months." The man dropped the fork. "But it doesn’t matter. It wasn’t supposed to be like this."

Nunnally frowned. “What do you mean?”

"Suzaku promised that I wouldn’t have to worry about coming back to this." The man gestured at himself. "I was ready to give up my life to this. It was far better than what I had."

Nunnally looked like she wanted to ask another question, but Lelouch shook his head. They could learn more about what being the vessel to an angel was like later; Lelouch had more important things to focus on. “Who are you?”

"Takahiro Kururugi. I used to live in Pontiac, Illinois with my father until he…died." Lelouch raised his eyebrows at the pause but didn’t comment on it. Takahiro swallowed harshly before continuing. "I…I just remember that he was fighting and then suddenly I was back."

Nunnally patted the back of his hand, Takahiro startling at the touch. She scooted her hand away, watching him carefully. “Suzaku said he had something important to tell us. Do you remember?”

"No. We didn’t talk much after he took control. But," Takahiro looked at them, "can you get him back?"

Lelouch tensed, dropping his gaze to the table. The only clue that they had of where Suzaku had gone was the huge banishing symbol that they had found in the warehouse. There was no way to get into Heaven and, even if they could, there was no way to know where Suzaku was in Heaven.

Thankfully, Nunnally came to his rescue. “We don’t know, but we’ll try. In the meantime, you would be safer with us.”

Takahiro made a vague noise of agreement, Lelouch’s hands clenching on the table. He didn’t want to have to live with this wrong version of his angel. He got up from the table, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. Lelouch was sure that Nunnally would apologize for his sake, but he couldn’t stand to look at Takahiro any longer.

He leaned against the door, pushing up his left sleeve before pressing his hand against the print still left there. Lelouch wasn’t sure if the print had some magical power or if it was just the result of the enthusiastic soldier of the Lord that Suzaku had been. He squeezed his shoulder, taking a deep breath as he steadied himself. Lelouch tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling in the dim hope that Suzaku would hear him. “Don’t you dare be dead.”

—-

Of all the people that Takahiro had hoped that he would never see again, his cousin was at the top of that list. She was also at the top of the list of people that he never wanted to see at the mercy of a demon. 

He walked away from Lelouch and Nunnally, letting them sneak into the building and get into position. He had to seek out a secluded spot and do the one thing that he had never thought that he would do. He was going to appeal to an angel.

Takahiro glanced up at the sky, turning in place. He knew that angels had a special connection to their vessels, but if Suzaku wouldn’t even answer the people that he cared about the most there was little chance that the angel would listen to him. He closed his eyes, hoping that luck was finally on his side. “Suzaku, please just do this one thing for me. Save Kaguya. I don’t care about me; I don’t care about what will happen. You just promised that I wouldn’t come back and all of this happened, so I guess you owe me. Just…save her.”

There was no answer, and Takahiro was not surprised. He hung his head and trudged into the warehouse.

He was also not surprised when the demon that had possessed his aunt was waiting for him with Lelouch and Nunnally already captured. He had never had the best luck. Takahiro swallowed and tried to copy Suzaku’s confidence, but he failed miserably, the demon laughing. “So he finally shows up. I thought he would continue to be a coward.”

"Just let them go." Takahiro glanced over at Kaguya. "And I’ll go with you."

"Let them go? I’ll be rewarded for bringing them in. The Righteous Man alone will bring me a bonus." The demon laughed, Takahiro shivering. "So let’s have a new deal. Give me something that I need."

"I don’t have anything-"

"Disappointing." Takahiro missed the demon drawing her gun; his attention had been on the way that Nunnally had been shaking her head. He was surprised at the searing pain from his stomach.

He attempted to catch himself as he fell to the ground, only managing to use one hand. The other he pressed against his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. He had been a failure in everything else in his life, but he would try his best to save Kaguya.

Takahiro dragged himself across the floor, gritting his teeth against the pain and the humiliation of the demons laughing at his efforts. He was the vessel of an angel; he had once been a part of something better than himself. By extension he was a warrior of Heaven. He could at least do this.

He managed to reach the chair, resting a hand against the ropes that bound his cousin’s feet before his strength gave out. Takahiro gave a strangled cry of annoyance before he collapsed to the floor. 

He wasn’t sure if the snap he heard was from bones or something else, but he was sure that he hallucinated the light touch to his head, at least until he heard one of the demons screaming.

Takahiro turned onto his back, watching as Kaguya stepped away from one of the demons, freeing Lelouch to stab the knife into the other. Lelouch tossed the knife to Nunnally, but they were too slow to stop Kaguya. She pressed her hand against her mother’s forehead, burning out the demon and the human.

Takahiro wasn’t aware that he had made a sound until Kaguya turned to look at him. He shrunk back against the chair as much as he could.

That wasn’t Kaguya looking at him, that was Suzaku, the angel in all of his glory. For the first time since Suzaku had spoke to him, he was afraid of the angel.

The fear abated quickly when Suzaku knelt by him, resting a hand on his head. “I heard you and I will keep my promise. Kaguya will be safe and you will be released.”

It was tempting just to give in, to let Suzaku end everything. But he just couldn’t. Takahiro wished that he could have put down the reason to wanting to continue his penance, to make up for what he had done to his father, but he was weak. All he could think about was Kaguya’s laughter, about how her life would be uprooted, about how she would never be happy. It was that reason that made him grab onto the angel’s wrist, pulling Suzaku closer. “No. Take me.”

Suzaku tipped her head to the side. “You could have peace.”

"I don’t want it."

Suzaku stared at him for a moment before nodding, cupping his cheek with her other hand. Takahiro closed his eyes, sucking in a painful breath as the angel rushed into him, all fire and glory.

—-

Kaguya had been silent the entire ride back to South Dakota, curled up in the backseat under the blanket that Nunnally had found for her. Lelouch had kept checking on her in the rearview mirror, but he hadn’t been focusing on her, his mind was still on what Suzaku had said before the angel had disappeared.

_"I don’t serve you."_

Lelouch wasn’t quite sure what that statement meant, but he was sure that all of the progress that he had made with Suzaku was now gone, torn apart by what Heaven had done.

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel before throwing the car into park. He was not going to sit outside of Schneizel’s house all night because of the angel. They were here on a mission. If Suzaku wanted to show up and talk to them, then the angel would.

Behind him, he could hear Nunnally coaxing Kaguya out of the backseat, still not sure of his sister’s plan. Kaguya should have gone to another branch of her family, but all of her family was dead. The last living member was serving as a vessel for Suzaku. And, she had briefly been a vessel herself. There was no safer place than with hunters, or so Nunnally had said. Lelouch just wasn’t sure they could take Kaguya’s agreement to the plan as real consent; the girl still looked shell shocked from everything that had happened to her.

When he looked back at the house, Schneizel and Kanon were walking out. It was no surprise that Kanon was over; the man was always lurking around when he wasn’t working at his bar.

Nunnally spotted them next. His sister smiled and shepherded Kaguya over. “This is Kaguya Sumeragi. She needs a place to stay.”

A nod from Schneizel had Kanon leading the girl back to the house. Lelouch rolled his eyes and leaned against his car. He would let Nunnally and Kanon handle Kaguya. They were both better at the emotional finesse needed for the situation.

He turned his head to find Schneizel standing right beside him, probably waiting for an explanation. Lelouch sighed and rubbed his left shoulder. “She’s related to Suzaku’s vessel. There was…Suzaku vacated his vessel for a while and Kaguya was used temporarily. Everyone she knows is dead.”

"And Suzaku?"

"Gone. I don’t know where."

Schneizel just hummed. “Kanon will probably want to adopt her. He can’t resist the helpless.”

"Is that why he’s still hanging around you?"

Lelouch couldn’t resist the jab at Schneizel, not really expecting an answer. Schneizel just shrugged and trekked back to the house, leaving Lelouch to stare up at the stars.

For a moment, Lelouch was tempted to offer up a prayer. Now that Suzaku was back in business, the angel would have to hear him. But Lelouch couldn’t stop thinking about Suzaku’s parting words.

The angel didn’t serve him and he hadn’t needed the angel in the first place. He wasn’t Heaven’s little soldier and he wouldn’t be made to be.

Lelouch dropped his hand from his left shoulder and strode towards the house, pointedly ignoring the fact that he was still listening for the sound of wings.


	14. Chapter 14

Lelouch stuck close to the chain link fence, using what cover there was to hide himself as he looked for a pattern in the guards that were scattered around. He narrowed his eyes, freezing when he saw a rusted skeleton of a car just a few feet ahead. It was placed between the cabins and the lines of guards, the perfect place for him to plan out his next moves.

He wiped his palms on his jeans before easing over to the wreck of the car, resting one hand on the trunk as he checked if the guards had seen him.

Lelouch stayed in a crouch as he circled the car, about to settle down in the grass when something caught his eye. He leaned closer to look at the license plate, reaching down to right the strip of metal when he couldn’t crane his head far enough. 00AR209. Lelouch let the plate drop, staring at the car that he was leaning against. It was his, the one that he had bought himself when he had started hunting on his own, the one that he had searched weeks for to get away from anything that reminded him of his father’s car.

Lelouch went to push away from the car, freezing when he felt a gun pressing between his shoulder blades.

"Turn and face me very slowly."

Lelouch raised his hands above his head and pivoted, staring down at the gun that was now pointed at his chest. He was about to demand to know what was going on when he got a good look at the person holding him at gunpoint. “Suzaku!”

Suzaku frowned, taking a step back and putting the gun away. Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief, tensing up a moment later when Suzaku punched him in the face.

—-

"I knew it wasn’t really you." Lelouch glared up at Suzaku, adjusting the can of beer against the aching side of his face. To his surprise, Suzaku just shrugged. "You just took me by surprise. I shouldn’t have punched you, but I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. And you do deserve it."

"I’m guessing you mean the current me and not the past me?"

Suzaku nodded in response, his gaze drifting around the cabin. Lelouch was sure that, if he turned to look, he would find Suzaku looking at all the weapons in the cabin and the things that he could turn into weapons. Although why Suzaku still thought of him as a threat was beyond him at the moment.

Lelouch cleared his throat, and switched the hand holding the beer can. “Do I get to know why I deserve to be punched?”

"You deserted us." Suzaku jerked his head toward the door, meaning that the current Lelouch had deserted the entire camp of people, one that Lelouch hadn’t completely seen. Considering the world that Lelouch had seen, overrun with the Croatoan virus and with civilization completely shut down, a leader deserting people who needed him was probably a capital crime.

Lelouch tried his best not to smile, the side of his face still ached. “Should I apologize for that?”

Suzaku shrugged. “It’s not something you have to do, not yet.”

"Then tell me what is going on, because Diethard just dropped me here and told me I had three days to learn a lesson." Lelouch paused when he saw Suzaku tense at the name. Considering the other run ins that they had had with the other angel, it was safe to infer that Suzaku still hated Diethard. Lelouch shifted on his chair. "I was hoping that I could take the short way out."

"You want me to fly you back home?" When Lelouch nodded, Suzaku started to laugh. For a moment, it was like the Suzaku he knew from 2009, but then something changed. Then, it sounded like something in Suzaku broke. Suzaku sounded crazy and out of control and Lelouch wanted to leave the cabin before he had an insane angel on his hands.

He went to stand up only to have Suzaku look up and glare at him. Lelouch sunk back into his chair as Suzaku got control of himself. Suzaku shook his head, still braced on the table. “I’m not an angel anymore, Lelouch. I’m as human as you are. At least, the past you.”

"What?"

Suzaku sighed and stood up, coming to sit on the edge of the table closer to Lelouch. “It’s been Hell on earth for the past four years. First the Croatoan virus popping up, then after…the angels just decided to pull out because it wasn’t worth fighting.”

"But you stayed."

"Yeah. I stayed to help the humans and kill the devil. Daddy’s good little soldier until the end." Suzaku gave another one of his broken chuckles. "But the devil won in Detroit. Michael never came down and Nunnally never made it out."

Lelouch felt the can drop from his hand as he processed what Suzaku had just said. “Nunnally?”

Suzaku nodded. “We couldn’t kill him Lelouch. We tried  _everything._ And we lost so many people. Schneizel, Kanon, Nunnally, Kaguya…I promised that I’d protect her, but you saw how well that turned out. We fought against the devil and all we got was a handful of traumatized survivors and one broken angel.”

Lelouch tried to process the information, tried to think his way through the list of the dead, but he kept getting stuck on the fact that Nunnally was dead. He had to avenge her, no matter how stupid the idea seemed. But his options were limited, because the future him and Suzaku would have tried everything they could think of.

He bent over to retrieve the can, rolling it between his hands instead of pressing it against his face again. “If I said yes to Michael now…”

"It wouldn’t matter, none of them are listening." Suzaku tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I called for help until my voice was gone any my head hurt from reaching out to them. They didn’t care. And they won’t come down for you."

"The Colt?"

"Got that yesterday." Suzaku looked back down, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on his knees. "Now I need a plan."

If the long look that Suzaku gave him wasn’t a hint, Lelouch didn’t know what was.

He stood up and wandered over to the head of the table, resting the can on one of the corners. Lelouch reached forward to tug the map towards him, Suzaku sliding off the corner that he had sat on. Lelouch leaned forward to look over the map, staring at the circles and dots.

None of it made sense to him, it wasn’t in his usual system. There were little bunches of words, all in different languages, scattered around the map, which meant that this was probably all of Suzaku’s work. Lelouch frowned, glancing up at Suzaku subtly. If he was still himself in the future, then there was no reason that Suzaku had to work alone, unless the desertion of his future self meant that Lelouch was already working on a plan. If that was true, then he would have to figure out what that was as well.

Lelouch sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to need to know who we have ready to do something like this and how good they are. I need to know supplies, transport and where Lucifer is. Everything.”

Suzaku nodded and slipped off of the table. Lelouch went to follow him out, wanting to get out of the small cabin and out into the open air. He wanted to be able to  _breathe_ because everything suddenly felt too small. He was stopped when Suzaku put out a hand, shoving him back towards the table.

"It would be best if you stayed here."

"Why?"

"The people around here don’t like you much and, honestly, if I didn’t know who you were, I would have killed you much sooner." Suzaku narrowed his eyes, giving Lelouch another shove back. "You’re a traitor in this time, Lelouch. You made a deal with the devil and haven’t even bothered to look back at us since. You can stay here and plan, but that’s it. The people out there won’t trust you and I barely do anymore. We’re not friends anymore Lelouch."

Suzaku walked out of the cabin, leaving Lelouch to stare after him. He managed to stay up until Suzaku was gone, then he leaned sideways, catching himself on the table. Lelouch remained there, taking deep breaths as he watched his hands shake.

—-

Lelouch clutched at the gun that he had been given, keeping pace with Suzaku as they worked their way through the dilapidated mental hospital. The others they had brought along were already working their way through the yard and the other wing, but Suzaku had kept them apart for Lelouch’s sake. The others were also more heavily armed than they were, Lelouch equipped with one gun and Suzaku with the Colt and a knife. He was sure that Suzaku had given the others different orders to. From his hiding place in the back of Suzaku’s jeep he had heard snippets of retreat plans, something that Suzaku hadn’t bothered with for them. And that made Lelouch nervous.

They were the ones that were working towards where Lucifer and his future self were. They were the ones that would need to run if things went bad. Lelouch didn’t know how time would be altered if he died in the future, and he wasn’t as sure that Suzaku would protect him, not when he hated the future Lelouch so much.

Lelouch grunted as he ran into Suzaku’s outstretched arm. Suzaku motioned for him to be silent before ducking around a corner, Lelouch rolling his eyes and following close on his heels. They both froze as they saw someone standing in the middle of the dark hallway, perfectly placed in the light of the few windows that weren’t still boarded up.

Lelouch recoiled as the person took a step forward, distracted by the person’s red eyes before he recognized them.

It was his future self.

The future Lelouch smiled. “I’ve been expecting you Suzaku.”

"I’m sure you have." Suzaku lifted the gun, aiming it at Lelouch’s heart. "And here I thought that you couldn’t sink any lower."

The future Lelouch looked confused before he gestured at his eyes. “These? How do you know that I’m not hitching a ride in here.”

"Because I know you."

"Ah yes, you ‘gripped me tight and raised me from perdition.’" The future Lelouch laughed. "And what made you think that I wanted to be saved. I broke the first time, it was much easier the second time. And I have to earn my keep, who knows when her majesty will get tired of me."

Lelouch grabbed onto Suzaku’s belt, using that grip to pull himself forward. He heard something clatter to the ground, too focused on the other him to care. “What about Nunnally?”

"Nunnally?" The future Lelouch pretended to look confused for a moment before he laughed. "She’s dead. Why else would I do this? Do you really think I would let her go where I couldn’t follow?"

Lelouch raised his gun but he was far too slow to beat Suzaku.

Suzaku fired off a shot, the future Lelouch crumpling to the ground as the bullet hit him square in the forehead. Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he wouldn’t have to listen to himself talk any longer.

He took a step to the side, leaning against the wall as Suzaku walked over to look down at the future Lelouch. After a moment, Suzaku bent over to close the future Lelouch’s eyes. Lelouch expected some kind of mourning from Suzaku, but he just stood up. “Now we find Lucifer.”

Lelouch nodded, about to push away from the wall when he caught something white out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t get a chance to turn and see what it was before the knife that Suzaku had dropped was thrown.

Lelouch turned his head just in time to see the knife hit Suzaku in the heart before the human crumbled. Then, someone was moving past him, kneeling by Suzaku to pull the knife out. The person leaned forward to kiss Suzaku’s forehead before gently shutting his eyes. “I’m sorry brother.”

When she stood up, Lelouch’s legs crumpled. Nunnally just smiled back at him, the bloodied knife still in her hand. “No.”

"Hello Lelouch."

"He said you were dead!"

Nunnally frowned, staring at him for a moment before her mouth dropped open. “Oh, no. Nunnally is dead, there’s only me in here now.”

"Lucifer?"

"Yes. And it’s so good to see you like this, Lelouch. I preferred it when you were firey and passionate instead of a good little slave. It’s a shame you allowed yourself to become a demon, horrible creatures." Lucifer sighed and tilted her head to the side. "But I could never hate you, because you’re my brother."

"No." Lelouch wasn’t sure what he was denying, he was still trying to work through the fact that Nunnally had said yes. She would never make that choice, not when she knew what would happen. "This isn’t…"

"It’s very real, Lelouch. All of this," she gestured around her, "is my kingdom. It’s a bit rough at the moment, still a few pests to get rid of, but then it will be glorious. My father’s last and greatest creation, kept safe from the parasites that he loved more than angels."

Lelouch recovered enough of his wits to point the gun at her. “Get out of my sister!”

Lucifer stared at him for a moment before picking up her skirts and walking over to him. She gently rested her hand on the gun, sinking down to the ground and pushing the gun until Lelouch had to let go. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand because you weren’t there. But I was protecting you and Michael.”

Lelouch wanted to scoot away, but Lucifer caught his hand, cradling it in her own. “I was always close to Michael, he was my brother. The best one I could ask for. But then father ruined it by commanding us to love the humans and I couldn’t. For that crime I was thrown from Heaven and Michael was the one to do it, but he couldn’t kill me. He _never_ could have.” Lucifer smiled at him. “You and Nunnally are more like Michael and I than you would ever know. You could never kill her and she would do anything to keep you from harm.”

"Not this."

"Even if you were desperate? Even if this was the only way to make sure that you lived? She would." Lucifer nodded slowly, patting his hand. "And she did. If it makes you feel better, she put up a good fight until the end. And it was her idea to keep everything at a stalemate until the angels retreated. That way, you wouldn’t have to kill her and Michael wouldn’t have to kill me. Everyone would win. She didn’t expect you to fall so far, but no plan is perfect."

Lelouch jerked back from her, scrambling for his gun. He couldn’t raise it at her, not again, but holding it made him feel better. It wasn’t the Colt, that was still with Suzaku, so he was essentially defenseless. Lelouch threw the gun away from himself, flinching as it knocked against the opposite wall. “Kill me.”

"Lelouch-"

"If there’s no way to save her, then just kill me!"

Lucifer stood up, shaking her head. “I won’t. After all, you are my brother.”

"Don’t say that!" Lelouch stepped forward, trying to look as threatening as he could even as he was shaking. "Kill me or I’ll kill you."

"You won’t. Because I know you." Lucifer smiled at him. "Whatever you do, you will always end up here. Whatever choices you make, whatever details you alter, we will always end up - here. You can never kill Nunnally, she can never kill you and you can never say yes to Michael. This is the only future and I am not sorry for it.” She stood up on her tip toes to kiss Lelouch’s forehead, stepping back when she was done. “I love you, big brother.”

Then she was gone, leaving Lelouch in an empty hallway with two bodies.

He reached out for the wall, trying to balance himself only to miss. He crumpled to the ground, feeling his throat tighten as he fought the need to cry.

Lelouch turned when he felt a hand on his arm, staring at Diethard and the angel smiled down at him. Lelouch ducked his head and closed his eyes, feeling Diethard press two fingers against his forehead. He felt the familiar pull on his stomach that came with traveling via angel and then, thankfully, nothing.


	15. Chapter 15

Milly leaned against the railing on the porch of the old hotel, holding her clipboard out in front of her. She could hear snippets of conversation coming from the open doors, not quite able to focus on the whole conversation. She trusted that her team could work on their own; they were just as excited about this as she was. She smiled and tapped the toe of one shoe against the wood of the porch, lingering on the title of the schedule that she was holding.

First Annual Supernatural Convention.

She nodded her herself, lifting up the first paper to begin to look through the rest of the papers. Thankfully, the organization of the convention had gone by without a hitch, something that Milly was grateful for. This was her one chance to prove to the publishers that this series should continue to be published, especially after the cliffhanger ending where Lelouch went to Hell. She had been on the forums long enough to know that there would definitely be an audience, but her bosses wanted more visible proof.

Maybe, if she got the books back into circulation, she could convince the publisher to change the name of the series back to what Rivalz’s had intended it to be. Supernatural fit the genre of the book series fine, but Milly had loved the original name when she had just been a lowly editor that had been handed what looked like a flop. Power of the Kings had a certain ring to it, but her bosses hadn’t thought that the public would get the reference. After all the kings in question weren’t even introduced until after the twenty-forth book, the whole idea of the apocalypse hadn’t even been broached by then. But it was obvious enough even for those who hadn’t gotten access to Rivalz’s newest book, the kings could be anyone. Charles and Luciano. Lelouch and Luciano. Anyone who had power on opposing sides could have worked.

Then again, it could have been Milly’s extended experience on the fan forums that had made it easy for her to pick up the little details like that. She hadn’t been so involved before she had edited the first Supernatural book, just trying desperately to find something that wouldn’t suck so badly that it made her want to pull her eyes out. While Rivalz’s writing wasn’t fantastic, his characters were something else, they were so real that Milly had spent half of her time reading over the books sobbing. The fact that Lelouch and Nunnally _were_ real didn’t shake her faith in Rivalz at all. Rarely anything could surprise her after college.

She flipped the pages down, nodding to herself. Sally was working on finishing up the arrangement of the one panel room while Jeffery called up the last of the actors they would need. Thankfully, many of the con staff had volunteered to help with the hunt. Milly had resisted the urge so she could keep an eye on Rivalz and the other special guests that she had planned. While she would have loved to attend the con in costume or play Leticia Gore, she would take responsibility for her newest attempt at publicity, at least to the fans. Maybe she could even convince Rivalz to do a special reading of the newest book, _Lazarus Rising_. She was sure that the fans would clamor over that, especially once they realized that angels had come to join in the ranks of the other creatures.

“Hey!” Milly turned her head at the sound of the shout. Sally was leaning out of the open doors and throwing her a thumbs up. Milly returned the gesture, pulling the pen out from behind her ear. She flipped through the pages again until she found her checklist, crossing through the last two on the list.

The attendees would start to arrive tomorrow, something that Milly was boundlessly excited about. She had managed to slog through the company and the teasing that she received, but it was a relief to know that she would be among people that understood her somewhat. Milly wasn’t popular for trying to bring back the Supernatural series, since it had never been anything much more than a cult hit, but it had sold. It was far more than the other books that her coworkers had managed had done. The books were the reason that she had the position she had now. Two promotions had to be rewarded some way. It also gave her the chance to hang out with the mysterious Rivalz Cardemonde, who had proved to be far more fascinating that she had imagined.

Milly sighed and pushed away from the railing, stretching her arms over her head. With everyone else done with the last minute touches, Milly would have to shift her focus away from supervising to making calls. The guest of honor was already with her, holed up in the hotel while he worked on the next book in the series. There were already four more after _Lazarus Rising_ , and Rivalz was working on what happened after Nunnally opened Lucifer’s cage. She also had a few books waiting for her in the room. Milly would have to have the first five new books ready to go by their agreement with the publisher. Thankfully, Rivalz seemed to have found a way to write his books quickly without losing any of their quality.

Rivalz was secured, providing that she could drag him away from his computer for the day. There were two more people that Milly had left to worry about.

She smiled to herself as she pulled Rivalz’s phone from her pocket. She had tried from her phone earlier in the day, but it had just gone straight to voicemail, so she would try from Rivalz, because she doubted that they would ignore a call from Rivalz; he was essentially writing their life’s story. Rivalz wouldn’t miss his phone in the first place; he was completely focused on the book. It was the perfect chance to add a little spice to the convention.

Milly smiled to herself and typed out a quick text message as she walked back into the hotel. She slid the phone back into her pocket as the phone chimed softly, the message sent. With that done, the con was ready to start come the next day and she was so excited.


	16. Chapter 16

He could hear them right behind him, their howls and the scrape of their claws on the asphalt.

Lelouch just swallowed and ran faster, aware that he was the one lagging behind the group, he was the one that was probably going to get caught. And that made it all the worse because he knew what it felt like to be ripped apart but hellhounds, knew exactly what it felt like when they went tearing through a body to release a soul. Lelouch didn’t want that to happen again, especially with the apocalypse on the rise and Lucifer out.  He was also afraid, so deathly afraid that even the normal run of dogs set him on edge, and the fear was crippling him now. With every step he fought the urge to look back over his shoulder, to make sure that the hellhounds were still invisible because that meant that he was still safe.

Lelouch almost tripped as he stepped down into a pothole, his arms flailing as he tried to keep himself upright. Thankfully, Clovis caught him by the arm. Clovis gave him a shove in the direction that Gabrielle and Nunnally were going. “The store.”

“Right.” He pushed away from Clovis, sprint the last few feet to the entrance of the store.

He turned once he reached the front, expecting Clovis to be right behind him. Instead the idiot was making a stand, firing salt rounds into the advancing hellhounds. Lelouch hesitated at the entrance for a moment before cursing. Clovis was going to get himself killed just standing out there. Salt wouldn’t make the hellhounds disappear, it would just injure them and make them angry. Hellhounds weren’t like their masters, they couldn’t be talked out of anything and they worked together like a pack.

One stepped in the puddle right behind Clovis, Lelouch too slow to call out a warning before Clovis was dragged down.

He flinched at the screaming, wanting to shut his eyes as the hounds started to tear into Clovis, but he couldn’t look away. Some part of him wondered vaguely if he had looked the same when he had been ripped apart, if the hounds had been as fierce going in to retrieve his soul. The majority of his attention though was one pressing himself into the door frame hoping that the hounds wouldn’t notice him. Lelouch wasn’t sure if the hellhounds remembered everyone they killed, but he hoped not.

Lelouch was shoved aside as Gabrielle stormed out of the store, gun blazing as she plowed a path to her son. Lelouch could hear the snarls and the yelps as the hellhounds backed away, retreating to formulate a new attack. He stayed at the storefront long enough to see Gabrielle stoop to pick up Clovis before he slipped back into the store.

Nunnally had been busy in the time that Lelouch was distracted, the windows and vents already lined with salt. She was hurrying from the back, probably after salting the back doors. The only place that remained was the front, but there was already a bag of salt there.

She rushed up to the front of the store just as Gabrielle carried Clovis in. Nunnally slammed the doors shut, knocking over the opened bag of salt with her foot to start the line before dragging the bag backwards.

Lelouch stepped out of her way, panting as he tried to calm himself down again. They were safe for now, the hounds would be too angry to go around the store, which meant that they just had to wait until they were occupied before sneaking out and running for where Lucifer was. Lelouch sighed, pushing away from the shelf. He intended to see what else he could do to help protect them for a little while longer when he caught sight of Clovis.

The man’s stomach had been torn to shreds, Lelouch sure that he saw the wet shine of internal organs peaking out in places. None of Clovis had come out of the attack unscathed, but his stomach was the worst of it. Lelouch swallowed and pressed a hand to his mouth, unable to look away. It was horrific and worse so because Clovis was still alive, using one hand to keep his stomach closed.

Gabrielle knelt by her son’s side, running a hand through his hair. The fact that she wasn’t trying to patch him up meant that she knew how bad it was. Gabrielle shushed Clovis as he gave a weak whimper, looking up at Lelouch and glaring at him. “Where’s your angel now?”

“He was with you.”

“You mean before his disappeared.” Gabrielle snorted, looking away from Lelouch again. “I thought he would be helpful.”

It was a distraction from Clovis’ state and Lelouch took it. He didn’t want to have to stare at the gaping wounds and wonder if he had looked the same. Defending Suzaku was much easier. “He’s helping us now.”

“Then why didn’t he save Clovis?” Lelouch saw her bite back another question, but it was easy enough to guess. She wanted to ask what made him so special and Lelouch didn’t have an answer.

He looked away, flinching when Nunnally patted his left shoulder. His sister didn’t seem to notice, Nunnally going to crouch in front of Gabrielle and Clovis. “We can put up all the wards that we can. You two can stay here while we take care of Lucifer.”

“No. The hellhounds will get you too.” Gabrielle took a deep breath, Lelouch slightly disturbed by the calm that crossed her face. Gabrielle stood up and began moving purposefully around the store. “We’ll hold here.”

“But you’ll-”

“I don’t care!” Gabrielle spun around, a box of nails in her hand. She used her free hand to point at Lelouch and Nunnally. “I lost my family because of the Lamperouges and I’m not going to wait for my time. I’m choosing this now. We’ll rig a bomb and Clovis and I will set it off.”

Lelouch grabbed onto Nunnally’s shoulder when she went to argue. Gabrielle had made up her mind and Lelouch was not going to deny her that choice. After all, her son was bleeding out on the floor. Clovis was obviously too weak to do anything by himself other than be a momentary distraction as the hellhounds finished ripping him to shreds. They would lose two valued hunters, two friends, but it was the only way. Lelouch had never thought they would come out of the apocalypse without losing everything.

He let go of Nunnally and joined Gabrielle, gathering buckets and wire when she pointed them out to him. After a moment, Nunnally joined him, the two of them bringing the supplies over to Gabrielle, who sat on the ground and worked quickly. Lelouch tried his best to ignore the way that mother and son whispered to each other, wanting to give them a little privacy. As it was Nunnally pulled him over to the side, looking at Lelouch before throwing her arms around him.

He stroked his sister’s back as she cried, resting his cheek against her head. Gabrielle and Clovis had been a Godsend after their father had died, just to have someone to come back to. Lelouch had never enjoyed Clovis’ company for extended amounts of time, the man was just too egocentric for his taste, but there was no denying that Clovis had been good on hunts, smart and quick thinking. Gabrielle had been the mother that Nunnally had never had, the one that chastised the both of them to taking better care of themselves. It had never been ideal, but Lelouch was sure that no family ever was. But, most importantly, it had been theirs.

“We’re stopping this.” Lelouch looked down at Nunnally spoke, pulling away from his little sister as she wiped her eyes. “We’re doing whatever it takes to stop it.”

“Of course.”

“Good.” They both turned as Gabrielle spoke up. She didn’t look at the two of them, still focused on her work. Clovis was still awake enough to pitch in, twisting wires together between his bloody fingers. Gabrielle sighed and used one hand to wave them away. “Go now. I just have a few more things to do.”

Lelouch nodded, Nunnally peeling away from his side to hug the two of them. It was only then that Gabrielle relented a fraction, hugging Nunnally back before putting the finishing touches on the detonator. Lelouch was slower, ambling over and completely unable to meet Clovis’ gaze. He did put out a hand for Gabrielle to shake, surprised when she dragged him down into a fierce hug.

He was about to pull away when Gabrielle whispered in his ear, her voice barely audible over the renewed struggles of the hellhounds to get in. “You put a bullet in the devil for me and Clovis.” He nodded, beginning to stand up when Gabrielle pulled him down again. “And don’t trust that angel.”

“Suzaku is just trying to help.”

“Is he?”

Lelouch was allowed to stand up then. He shot a look down at Gabrielle and Clovis before nodding to Nunnally. The two of them snuck to the back of the store, Nunnally taking the lead as they slipped out the back door. As soon as they were in the back alley, Nunnally took the Colt out and turned, starting to jog to the other side of town. Lelouch followed silently, leaving Nunnally to her thoughts. She would need to mourn later, which would give him the chance to demand to know where Suzaku had been.

They were both taken aback by the huge explosion that went off behind them, Lelouch automatically turning in place to protect Nunnally. His mouth dropped open as he stared at the rising plume of smoke, only snapping back to the present when Nunnally tugged on his sleeve.

He glanced at his sister and nodded, falling into step beside her as they moved towards the outskirts of the town.


	17. Chapter 17

Nunnally charged through the door after her brother, clutching at the stake in her hand. The warehouse they ran into was dark, Nunnally slowing down so she could let her eyes adjust, very much aware that Lelouch was just charging on ahead of her. She would catch up in a moment when she was sure of her surroundings.

The darkness persisted for a moment longer before a bright light flashed, Nunnally gasping and raising her arms to protect her eyes. When she lowered them, she was missing her stake and she was standing on the wall of a castle.

She gaped at the open plains before her, not quite believing what she was seeing, before she turned to look for her brother.

Lelouch was easy to spot, her brother standing close to the railing that ran along the other side of the wall. He was leaning over, staring down into the courtyard of the castle. Nunnally thought she saw a hint of a smile on his face before he straightened up, only then noticing that he was wearing medieval clothes. She gasped and looked down at herself, plucking at the dress she was wearing and making a face.

Normally, Nunnally didn’t care about wearing skirts or dresses, but she found them impractical for hunting. And, with the way the dress she was wearing felt, she wouldn’t be able to move fast.

She gathered up the dress, intending to turn and run down the stairs to the courtyard when something caught her attention. Nunnally narrowed her eyes, staring at the complicated sigil of a lion and snake curled around each other. She had seen that symbol so many times, but it belonged in another world. It belonged as a television show.

Nunnally looked down at her empty hands and dress before looking back at the sigil, letting out a long breath. “Lelouch, is this-“

"It has to be. I recognize everyone"

"-that political drama that you love."

Lelouch’s mouth snapped shut, Nunnally chuckling as he glared at her. She waved her hand in lieu of an apology. She had found herself getting caught up in the medieval drama the few times she had not been caught up in research. She hid her smile behind her hand, listening to Lelouch mutter the names of the characters.

It was only when he stopped that she turned around, watching as Lelouch glared at one of the men that was striding along the wall. To her, it just looked like the captain of the guards, the one character that Nunnally was sure that Lelouch liked only because he reminded him of Suzaku. But Lelouch wasn’t reacting the same way as he usually did. Instead, her brother just walked over to the man and pushed him back against the wall.

"Lelouch!"

"My lord!"

"Quiet." Lelouch snapped. He tightened his hold on the man. "Who are you?"

"I’m-"

"No tricks."

The man snapped his mouth shut, staring at Lelouch for a moment before smirking. Then his face changed, Nunnally reaching back for the railing as the man’s features slipped into the face of the trickster.

"No tricks? That’s no fun."

Lelouch looked like he wanted to strangle the man, Nunnally deciding to interfere before things got too out of hand. The last time the trickster had been around, Lelouch had ended up dying multiple times and she wanted to avoid that if at all possible.

She edged up beside the two of them. “Listen, we need your help.”

"My help?" The trickster looked between the two of them, Nunnally shivering as she saw the corner of his mouth twitch up. "Well then, it’ll come with a price."

Lelouch tightened his hold. “What price?”

"You play my game." The trickster reached back to rap his knuckles against the wall. "I’ve got my own nifty little set up going on here, sets and actors. All the fun we could have. You play, you get my help."

Nunnally reached out to rest a hand on Lelouch’s arm, giving it a squeeze to calm him. “How do we play?”

The trickster just winked and disappeared, Lelouch muttering a curse and spinning around to stare down at the courtyard. Nunnally sighed and shook her head. “What now? Do we just tell him no?”

"No. We need his help." Nunnally saw Lelouch’s knuckles go white as he held onto the railing. "So we play his game."

"How?"

"You heard him. He’s given us actors and a set before slipping us in here." Lelouch gestured with one hand. "We play along. He’ll show up again when we’ve learned our lesson."

Nunnally took a deep breath, wanting to refuse right off the bat. She was not going to be taught a lesson again but the trickster, the last one had hurt. But there was no other way out of this world; she had walked from the outside of a warehouse into a medieval castle. She reached up to play with her hair, jerking her hands down when she realized that her hair had been pulled up in an elaborate style. Unable to pace or play with her hair, she gestured out towards the outside of the castle. “So what do we do?”

"Well," Lelouch rubbed the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed as he thought, "this is one of the pivotal moments in the series. An attacking force is coming for the castle and it is up to us to save the people here. But there’s a twist…the defense is led by a woman."

"Why?"

"I’m trying to remember…" Lelouch didn’t get a chance to give her any more clues. A rain of arrows came over the wall, Nunnally ducking down and pressing herself against the stone.

A shout of pain made her look over, Nunnally turning her head to watch as Lelouch fell to the ground, clutching at his leg and the arrow that was embedded in it. Nunnally stared at her brother, unable to come up with anything other than a very unladylike reaction.

"Shit."

—-

Lelouch stumbled out into the open, looking around as he tried to catch his breath. The scenery had changed as the trickster had changed the program. The last thing he remembered was attempting to run an egg on a spoon through a lane of padded spinning objects, all for the chance to answer a question.

At least it had been better than the over the counter medicine commercial. Lelouch had nearly had a heart attack when Nunnally had calmly announced that she had genital herpes.

A soft grunt made him turn around, Lelouch watching as Nunnally picked herself up. His mouth dropped open as he saw her short skirt and the tight white top that she was wearing. Nunnally either didn’t notice or was purposefully ignoring her clothing as she looked around. “Where are we now?”

Lelouch looked down at his own clothes, taking in the white shirt and tan pants that he was wearing. They matched Nunnally’s outfit, and there were two bags by their sides. He looked back at his sister, watching as Nunnally blushed.

"Oh. I know. It’s an anime."

Lelouch sighed with relief. It was probably just a school based anime; Nunnally had once said that she loved those. They were going to be safe for once.

He had barely finished the thought when he heard an explosion, Lelouch jerking back in shock. He turned and tackled Nunnally to the ground as chunks of building slammed into the ground. When everything had settled he looked up, panting for breath.

A shove to his shoulder had him standing up, Nunnally holding onto his shoulder as she stood up as well. Lelouch reached up to squeeze her hand, reaching for a weapon that he knew that he didn’t have. “What kind?”

Nunnally pulled something from her pocket, the two of them staring at the strange pen-like thing. Nunnally pressed a button on the side, her eyes widening as stars began to run over the surface of it. Lelouch didn’t have time to ask what was going on before there was a flash of light. He heard his sister squeak before the light was gone and Nunnally was standing in another outfit.

She was now dressed in something pink, white and frilly. Thankfully the skirt was longer this time around.

"Oh." Nunnally sounded slightly shocked, smoothing one hand down her skirt. "Magical girl anime."

"That can’t be that bad."

Nunnally had time to give him a shocked look before something else exploded, this time much closer. Lelouch turned to see what had happened, hearing Nunnally scream.

The building tilted towards them, Lelouch raising an arm in a feeble attempt to protect the two of them. He flinched and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the collision.

When none came, he opened his eyes, staring at the figure that was standing in front of him. His attention was quickly distracted by the great wings that came from the man’s shoulders, staring at the brown and white barred wings that were spread out in front of them. It wasn’t until Nunnally pulled away from him that Lelouch realized that Suzaku was standing in front of them.

The angel took a step back, right onto one of his wings. Suzaku huffed and lifted his foot, angrily shaking out the wing. Nunnally didn’t give him the time to pull the wing back, running into him and hugging him. “Suzaku!”

Suzaku returned the hug, but his gaze never left Lelouch. “Where have you been?”

"Here. The trickster trapped us."

Suzaku’s eyes narrowed, the angel looking around. “This is beyond what something like him should be able to do.”

Nunnally took a step back. “Can you get us out of here?”

Suzaku took a while to nod, and when he did he looked reluctant. “I might be able to, but we’d need a door.”

Lelouch gestured for Suzaku to lead on, watching with some amusement as the angel tried to fold the wings onto his back. “I thought all angels looked like that.”

"I showed you illusions, Lelouch." Suzaku flashed him a grin when he finally tucked the wings into place. "My wings don’t actually look like this. Humans wouldn’t be able to stand with these, let alone fly."

Lelouch tipped his head in a nod, watching as Nunnally skipped a bit ahead. If they were really in a magical girl anime, then she was probably the most powerful out of all of them, followed by Suzaku. Lelouch was probably a secondary character without any power, and he was fine with that. He had been tormented enough by this game already.

He stepped past Suzaku, unable to keep from reaching out and brushing his hand over the edge of the wing. He was as surprised as Suzaku when the wing fluttered, Suzaku reaching back to push the limb back into place. Lelouch ducked his head to hide his smile, biting back a compliment. There were other things to do, explosions to escape. He couldn’t get distracted by Suzaku and the new set of wings he had suddenly acquired, no matter how good Lelouch thought they looked.


	18. Chapter 18

“It’s okay Lelouch. I’ve got him.”

Lelouch was still too addled from the beating that he had been given, from watching Schneizel get his neck snapped and Suzaku explode into a bloody cloud to properly comprehend Nunnally’s words. He barely recognized that it was his sister speaking for the first time instead of Lucifer. He was too busy preparing for the next blow with the strength of an angry archangel behind it. It was only when he heard the rush of wind did he manage to lift his head from the car.

A pit had opened in the ground of the cemetery, a yawning circle of black that was sucking in leaves and grass. It look Lelouch a moment to realize what the presence of the pit meant. He looked up at his sister, trying to get his battered face to make something like a smile. He knew what this meant, that his sister had bested the devil, but the victory was hollow, because Nunnally couldn’t hold him back for long. She was going to jump into the pit to save the world. Not for the first time in his life, Lelouch wanted to say screw the world and keep his sister. But the future where he was a twisted demon and Nunnally was Lucifer still haunted him. For their sakes, he had to let Nunnally go.

He slid off the hood of the car, intending to go and hug his sister, although his mind was already going to something else. With both Suzaku and Schneizel gone, there was no one to hold him back. He could just hold onto Nunnally and tip into the cage with her, then she wouldn’t be alone with two archangels for company. Lelouch didn’t pay too much mind to the promise that he had made to Nunnally, not when he had broken so many promises to her. His sister was more important than himself, more important than anything he had ever promised her.

His slow progress forward was stalled as Michael appeared, the archangel looking terrified even as he stood between Nunnally and Lelouch. “This isn’t how it’s going to end. I have to fight Lucifer.”

Nunnally shook her head and stepped closer to the pit, Michael following after her. She looked over at Lelouch, staring at him for a long moment before nodding slowly, Lelouch blinking as he realized what she wanted him to do. It was the oldest of their plans. It took everything he had to nod back, because it would mean the end of everything that he wanted. But Nunnally actually cared about the world and Lelouch would do anything to keep Nunnally happy.

He grunted as he got to his feet, swaying as he walked up behind Michael. He ignored the fact that he was sneaking up on his half brother, because Rolo was so far gone that it didn’t matter. Rolo was probably back in Heaven with his mother and Michael was probably just operating an empty body. Lelouch took a deep breath and looked back at Nunnally, having to bite his lip to keep a whimper from escaping as she gave him a thankful smile.

Nunnally took another step back, teetering on the edge of the pit. “You’re going to have to make me.”

Michael snarled, leaning forward like he was about to go after her, but the archangel wouldn’t really move, not while he was still in danger. Lelouch made the decisive move for Michael, throwing himself against the archangel’s back with all of his strength.

It was only because it was a surprise that Michael stumbled forward, but it was enough. Nunnally took over where Lelouch had left off, grabbing onto Michael and letting their forward momentum throw them back into the pit. Lelouch went to follow, his knees giving out after his first step. He flinched as he hit the ground, looking up through his one good eye as the ground shuddered, the pit making a sound like a gasp before it closed, leaving the four horseman’s rings on the ground.

Lelouch stared at the empty space, trying to process what just happened. Nunnally was gone, this time by her own choice, and he would never get her back. Lelouch wanted to scream, but there was nothing left in him for a scream. He had accepted that Nunnally would die because of their life long before, but he had never thought of it like this. Nunnally had taken a tumble into Hell all because of all of the stupid people in the world.

That was enough to get Lelouch to tip his head back and scream, hoping that God heard it wherever he was. God should know what he had done, should know how he had tortured his creations and how they still suffered because of him.

And, of course, God never answered.

Lelouch rocked back onto his heels, panting for breath as he hung his head. That was all he had to give. There were no tears, not yet. He was still too much in shock from watching his sister take a swan dive

He didn’t know how long he kneeled on the ground, staring at the ground before he heard a flutter of wings. Lelouch didn’t care which angel it was, it was an escape. “Please.”

“Lelouch…” He felt fingers on his forehead, Lelouch preparing for the pain that would come with death. Instead, he felt the familiar warmth of healing. Lelouch tensed, spinning around as soon as the healing was done.

He stopped when he saw Suzaku standing over him, wanting to demand that Suzaku just kill him because the angel knew above all others that he didn’t want this, didn’t want a life without his sister. He had learned to let her live her own life early on, how to exist just knowing that Nunnally was somewhere in the world. But it was completely different when he knew that she was dead and he had promised not to look for her. It would be worse than the forty years that he had spent in hell.

The worst part was that Suzaku looked like he knew. Even back to his old state of God’s power and glory, Suzaku looked wrecked because he _knew_. Lelouch made a choked sound, that enough to have Suzaku reaching back for his shoulder. “You promised her, Lelouch.”

“I know but-”

“You promised.”

Lelouch shook his head and got up anyway. There were many things that he wanted to do, so many ways to make sure that he would join his sister, but now he could only see the disappointed look that she would shoot his way. How could he ignore her when she had given up everything for him. Lelouch took a step back from Suzaku, staring at the ground. “What do I do now?”

“What you promised. And I will go back to Heaven to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Leaves crunched as Suzaku walked away, Lelouch glancing up to see Suzaku crouching beside Schneizel.

Lelouch didn’t wait around to see Schneizel brought back to life, he stormed back to the car and slammed the door. He didn’t want to stay to have Schneizel try to appease him and have someone else remind him what he had to do. Suzaku was enough. It was better he start on the road and try to make the drive in one go, the more he stopped the more he would want to turn around and go back. His promise to Nunnally was the only thing that was keeping him running, because he had never wanted Suzaku to save him.

He tightened his hands on the steering wheel and threw the car into reverse. He managed a neat u-turn between the headstones, easing the car back onto the rutted road that led into the old cemetery. Only when he was on his way out did he look back into the rearview mirror.

Behind him was only the cemetery and a lone angel.

Suzaku stood over the place where Nunnally had fallen into the pit, contemplating the space of ground before he waved his hand over the ground. Lelouch couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face as flowers sprung up in a circle. He nodded when Suzaku met his gaze, the angel just tipping his head to the side as he disappeared. Lelouch huffed and looked back at the road. That was probably as much of a goodbye he would get from Suzaku. He shook his head and drove out of the cemetery, his gaze continuously drifting to the speedometer to mark the miles between him and his sister.


	19. Chapter 19

There was one stage of the writing process that Rivalz hated the most and it wasn’t the headaches that came before his visions. It was the endings that drove him crazy. He wished that after writing twenty –four published novels and seven more waiting for his publisher to push the final deal through, he would have gotten better. He had one more book getting ready to go, a rounding out of his series for Milly to try and get the last books published. All he needed was an ending.

He sighed and rested his head on the table, staring at the bottle of water off to the side of his desk, hoping for some sort of divine inspiration. At the thought of the divine he flinched and glanced towards the windows, waiting to see light as Raphael came down, as if his thoughts could summon the angel. Then again, it had always been surprisingly easy to call down the angel.

Rivalz smiled to himself and pushed himself upright again. He had already had the visions, it was just a matter figuring out how to put in down in writing that would sell. Milly was counting on him to sell a few books, just to get the series back on the shelves. He had sat through many of Milly’s complaints about the book industry and how hard it was to find series that appealed to a wide audience while having acceptable writing. Rivalz had never been insulted by how Milly disparaged some of his writing, he had never intended to become what he was, it had just happened. It was just like fate.

He shook his head and cracked his knuckles, eyeing the blinking curser on his word processor. “Alright then. Let’s get this done.”

His hands hovered over the keyboard for a moment, Rivalz quickly rereading over what he had just written. He took a deep breath, considering the best way to tackle the next part before nodding to himself.

_This is the last Lelouch and Suzaku will see of each other. It is the last time he will see Schneizel as well for a very long time. And, for the record, at this point next week, Schneizel will be hunting a rugaru outside of Dayton with Kanon. But not Lelouch. Lelouch didn’t want Suzaku to save him. Every part of him, every fiber he’s got, wants to die, or find a way to bring Nunnally back. But he isn’t gonna do either. Because he made a promise._

Rivalz sat back again, drumming his fingers against the desk, thinking back to what Milly was always begging other authors to do. She was always shouting for the authors to bring the story home, to wrap it up in a way that would give readers at least the illusion that everything was wrapped up.

He shook his head and tipped it back. “What does it all mean?”

He hesitated a moment more before turning back to the keyboard. If Milly didn’t like it, she could always go in and edit. For now, this was the truth and that’s what he wanted above all at the moment. The world could take the edited moment, but Rivalz needed the truth down in some form for one shining moment.

Rivalz was sure that he would be able to sneak out a special edition of the series if Milly was right about the fans.

He smiled to himself and began to type furiously, happy that the end was at last in sight.

_So, what’s it all add up to? It’s hard to say. But me, I’d say this was a test… for Nunnally and Lelouch. And I think they did all right._ _Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice. They chose family. And, well… isn’t that kinda the whole point?_

Rivalz paused again, quickly running over the last of his vision before nodding. That was everything that he needed. He moved the mouse over to the menu, sending the last ten pages to his printer. He swiveled his chair around as the printer began to work, humming a hymn he had been listening to while he had been writing the scene in the cemetery.

“Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane…something, something, something. Gates of hell can never ‘gainst that church prevail…and I can’t remember the rest.” Rivalz went back to just humming as the pages came out of the printer, adding them to the stack that was his manuscript. He nodded at the stack of papers, reaching for a pen on a whim.

He shifted the stack to one side, scrawling a note to Milly as he sang the only other line he remembered from the hymn that he could remember. “Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng. Blend your voices in the triumph song. Glory, laud and honor onto…” He stopped writing to stare off at his wall, shaking his head. “Well it wasn’t Jesus, but the sentiment is the same. This through countless ages men and angels sing.”

Rivalz stopped his singing as he finished, looking over the note.

_No doubt — endings are hard. But then again… nothing ever really ends, does it?_

It was the best kind of apology that he could offer to Milly, the only explanation he would be able to offer her. After all the work he had done, he needed a long rest. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m definitely a god. A cruel, cruel, capricious god.”

Rivalz reached over to shut down his computer, staring at the picture of him and Milly, the two of them smiling at the camera. There was some part of him that was surprised by the smile that crossed his face in response. Then again, he had gotten used to be surprised by the humans around him, nothing was every as he could have predicted.

He stared at the blank screen in front of him, frowning when he realized that he didn’t feel accomplished, instead he just felt restless. It was finished, or the version of events that he had known was finished, but that didn’t mean that it was over. He had written as much to Milly. Even then, his job was done. He had recorded the events leading up to the apocalypse and what had occurred afterward. He could leave right now, but he wouldn’t be satisfied.

Rivalz reached over and picked up the stack of paper, cradling it in his arms as he walked it over to the kitchen table. He made sure to leave it where Milly could find it easily, but he didn’t linger over the manuscript too long. Rivalz walked to the front door, picking up his keys and shrugging on his jacket. He reached for the light, staying there long enough to look around his house.

Maybe he didn’t have to leave, maybe he just needed a vacation.

Rivalz flicked the light off and disappeared


	20. Chapter 20

Shirley looked up as Lelouch walked by, offering him a smile in the hope that it would help. She knew that it wasn’t enough, wasn’t enough to make up for the loss of Nunnally and the thousand other things that he wouldn’t tell her, but it was something.

If she couldn’t help him recover, than she could at least do damage control. It was what she had been doing since Lelouch had stumbled to her door two months ago. At least now he was something like human again, but he was getting antsy, like there was something he had to be doing.

She knew what Lelouch wanted to be doing, knew that he wanted to take the car that was still under the tarp in the garage and take off on the road again. Shirley wouldn’t have blamed him if he had, the way he was living with her and Isabel was almost too much for him at times. Every strange noise made him jump, Lelouch reaching for the guns and weapons that he no longer had on him. It had gotten better, but Shirley knew that it wasn’t going to go away. She was living with a soldier, essentially, one with issues that she would never begin delve into.

It was enough to make her wish that she had turned him away when he had stumbled to her door, but Shirley knew that she couldn’t. She had always had a crush on Lelouch, or at least the idea of Lelouch.

When he had showed up at her door those long summers ago, running from something that he wouldn’t tell her, she had let him in and fallen in love in the way of the young, so completely because Lelouch was everything that she thought she wanted. She hadn’t been heartbroken when he had left, not like she had been when her husband had left her with Isabel, but Lelouch had become her ideal man; confident, intelligent and handsome. Shirley was old enough to know that Lelouch wasn’t anything like the dream version that she had created of him, but she was glad that he had come to her instead of continuing to hunt. It would have gotten him killed with the way that he was distracted. They weren’t what the other wanted, but it was something to have someone there. No one should have to deal with grief completely alone.

Shirley stretched up to put the last plate in place, surprised when Lelouch came to stand beside her, handing her the next dry plate. She dropped down off her tip toes, watching him carefully for a second. She tried to ask if he was alright. If today was one of the worse days and he needed a bit of space without speaking, not wanting to break the silence that Lelouch seemed so comfortable in. Shirley wasn’t sure if she succeeded, because Lelouch gave her one of his smiles that didn’t quite reach his eyes, but the effort was there. She reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder, glad when Lelouch leaned into the touch.

It wasn’t a complete fix, but Shirley was willing to patch the wounds until Lelouch figured out how to sew himself back up.

She took the next plate, glad when they settled into some kind of rhythm. If they could move in sync here, then there was a chance that Lelouch would see how good this was, that he would stay. Shirley didn’t really want to linger on that thought for too long, because it felt too much like being glad that Nunnally was dead. But Lelouch seemed to like it with them and Isabel enjoyed having a father figure, if only because it meant that she didn’t have to wake up so early to catch the bus.

Shirley shut the cabinet, opening the next one and holding her hand up for the glass. Lelouch was slow to pass it to her, Shirley waiting patiently. They could both do this, she was sure of that. When Lelouch shook his head, coming out of whatever memory that had captured him, Shirley leaned over to kiss his temple, a simple reminder that she was there for him.

When she pulled back, Lelouch’s strained smile had eased someone, so she counted it as a victory for the moment.

The sound of someone running down the stairs broke their little bubble of silence, Shirley leaning back to see Isabel running into the kitchen, a look of panic on her daughter’s face. “I’m going to be late!”

“You should have woken up the first time.” Lelouch turned to lean against the counter, Shirley glad to see that he was relaxing. “I thought you had.”

Isabel blushed but didn’t bother to answer, sitting down at the table instead. Both Lelouch and Shirley laughed at that, Lelouch the one to walk over to sit next to her. “I’ll drive you to school. It’s close enough to the office. I can pick you up too.”

Isabel shook her head, swallowing a bite of toast before speaking. “I’ve got a club meeting after school and then soccer practice. That should be done around…six. I think that’s how long it’s running.”

“Six.” Shirley stepped in smoothly, glancing over at the schedule that hung on the fridge. “And I’ll be picking you up then, but you’ll have to figure out something for tomorrow. I’ve got a series of meetings coming up. Dinner is on you tonight, Isabel.”

Her daughter made a face but didn’t argue. Isabel enjoyed her night to cook dinner, if only because it meant that Shirley and Lelouch had to do the dishes. Shirley had come in many times to see her daughter dancing around the kitchen to whatever pop song had caught her interest for the week, singing at the top of her lungs.

Shirley walked back, ruffling Isabel’s hair. As she thought, her daughter turned to catch her hands, beginning the usual tirade of how long it had taken her to get her hair that way despite the fact that they both knew that it was a lie. Isabel had just thrown her hair into a ponytail again.

She rolled her eyes, not surprised when Isabel turned to Lelouch to get him on her side, but she could see that Lelouch was. He set down his fork and gave Isabel his full attention. Shirley took a step back from the table, watching the two of them out of the corner of her eye as they turned from the issue of Isabel’s hair to a book that Isabel had read for class. From where she was standing, Lelouch seemed to be at ease, another victory.

Shirley smiled to herself, ducking her head so neither Lelouch nor Isabel would see her expression. It wasn’t perfect, but that was alright. Shirley had never wanted a perfect life. With Lelouch with her and her daughter, everything was better than she had ever hoped.


	21. Chapter 21

Isabel knew that Lelouch wasn’t alright; she had known that since he had shown up at their door nearly five months ago. She had figured it long before her mother had taken her aside and tried to explain what had happened. Isabel had remembered that Lelouch had hunted things, the things that she wasn’t allowed to talk about and the things that tried to hurt people. It was why she had thought of him as a hero, because he did something that no one else did. It was like being a firefighter, but cooler.

Now she couldn’t talk about it for another reason, because something bad had happened. Isabel didn’t know the whole truth, probably because Lelouch wouldn’t talk about it. She just knew what Shirley had told her.

_“Listen, Lelouch saved the world again. You know how it was bad all last year, that’s because it was the apocalypse, but Lelouch stopped it. It’s fine now, we’re safe. But a lot of people died stopping it, a lot of his friends and Nunnally. He’s still hurting from that, so it’s for the best to just leave him alone for now. If he wants to talk, then he’ll talk.”_

Isabel had nodded and then went on with her life. It had been nice to have Lelouch around, even if he hadn’t moved from the guestroom for the first few weeks. It was almost like having a father again, an experience that she didn’t remember. And, when Lelouch had finally left the guestroom and had started to interact with them, it felt good to help him out where she could. Lelouch must have saved them so many times already, it was time for someone else to try and help him, like she was now.

It was a nice day, one of the few nice days left in the fall. She had just gotten out of soccer practice and Lelouch was waiting for her in the parking lot, leaning against her mother’s car. It was her mother’s turn for cooking again, which meant that something interesting would come out of Shirley’s latest experiment. Isabel wasn’t sure if it would be good or not, but there was always the ice cream in the freezer. She knew that Lelouch wouldn’t rat her out if she snuck down in the middle of the night to get a bowl or make herself a sandwich. They had crossed paths many times on the nights that Shirley’s cooking hadn’t been edible.

She raised a hand to wave at him, glad that Lelouch smiled at her. It was such a difference from the days when he wouldn’t smile at all. Isabel broke into a run, eager to get into the car and get home. Coach had run them all hard and her stomach was grumbling.

Lelouch pushed away from the side of the car as Isabel bounded over. She opened the door to the front seat, waiting to see if Lelouch would protest. When he didn’t say anything, she tossed her backpack into the back seat. She was about to clamber into the front seat when Lelouch spoke.

“How was school?”

Usually the conversation would happen in the car, Isabel thrown for a moment. She covered it up with a shrug, stepping up onto the car and placing her arms on the roof. It wasn’t too bad of a choice; there was a beautiful sunset to look at and a nice breeze. Besides, it would give them the time to go for takeout if Shirley decided that her culinary adventure was a disaster.

“It was alright, I guess. There was a pop quiz in math, but I think I bombed it.”

“Really?” Lelouch copied her position, raising an eyebrow. “Even after all of the studying you’ve been doing?”

“I get nervous.”

Lelouch snorted. “Don’t. If you know it, don’t second guess yourself.”

It looked like he was about to say something else, but he quickly snapped his mouth shut. It wasn’t too hard to figure out that he would have gone on to something about hunting, because Lelouch had done that for a few days before quickly silencing himself. It was around that time that it seemed like Lelouch decided to stay.

Isabel rocked backwards, staring up at the sky before sighing. “I guess…”

“Don’t guess. You know it, so do it.”

She looked back at him, expecting Lelouch to be giving her the disappointed glare that she had seen on her mother’s face sometimes. Instead, he just looked calm, like he trusted her to just do it. Isabel bit the inside of her lip and stared down at the top of the car.

Lelouch was like that, giving out what sounded like an order and then trusting that it would be carried through. If it wasn’t, he almost seemed surprised that it happened, like something in his world had gone out of sync. Isabel might not have been able to do anything to help Lelouch from being surprised by his new life, but she could at least try his advice. There was nothing really better that she had been offered.

Isabel dropped back onto the ground, slipping into the car. She reached for her seatbelt, freezing at the sound of rustling wings. She saw Lelouch tense as well, Isabel immediately jumping to the conclusion that made the most sense. Something had startled the group of birds in the trees, something that might be dangerous. She twisted to reach for her backpack, groping for her water bottle that was filled with holy water and the salt packets that she kept in the side pockets. Isabel glanced over to Lelouch for confirmation, freezing as she watched his face change from happy expectation to disappointment.

Lelouch stared at the spot just behind the car for a moment, reaching up to rub his left shoulder before shaking his head. He slid into the car, Isabel taking the time to sit back in her seat properly. She looked at her hands for a moment, glancing up at Lelouch out of the corner of her eye.

It had been nothing but birds, she was sure of that. But that didn’t explain the look on Lelouch’s face.

Isabel rubbed her hands together, quickly making her decision. Lelouch wouldn’t be mad if she asked what he thought it was, it would just be her being the curious kid. Lelouch seemed to know how to deal with that facet of her better than the others. She pulled her seatbelt across her body, tugging it to get it tighter. “What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh…” Isabel let herself trail off. She had known that already, but it was a better answer than she had expected. She had just thought that Lelouch would have kept silent.

She reached out to pull the door shut as Lelouch leaned forward, but he paused before he could start the car. Isabel glanced at him, noticing how he was staring at the space behind the car. She was about to clear her through when Lelouch spoke.

“I was just thinking about something my mother said to me.”

“What did she say?”

“Angels are watching over you.”

There were too many things that Isabel wanted to ask, like what had prompted Lelouch to think of that. But she knew that questions about his life before them were strictly off limits, just like questions about hunting were. Although Lelouch was slowly easing up on that, giving them little insights to his life as the days went on. Instead, she settled on something suitably neutral. “Are they?”

Lelouch finally looked back at her, Isabel surprised at the smile on Lelouch’s face. “I know of a few.”

She just nodded, not knowing how to continue the conversation. Lelouch seemed just as relieved that the conversation was dropped. Isabel shifted as the car started up, leaning her head against the window to look at the side mirror as they drove away. She didn’t know what she was looking for exactly, but she did know that she was hoping for a glance one of the angels Lelouch had talked about. She remained staring at the window until they pulled away, leaving the empty parking lot behind them.


	22. Chapter 22

Euphemia took wing and flew down to earth, seething. The angels who had decided to take their side were waiting for their commander. She was sure of their loyalty, but if she couldn’t find Suzaku then they were going to lose the war.

Their whole base of support rested on the fact that Suzaku had been there when the Lamperouges had ended the apocalypse and had returned from the dead. They were already on shaky ground because Raphael didn’t recognize their cause. It was only a matter of time until the angels, beings used to taking orders, would drift back to Raphael and the apocalypse would start again.

She didn’t want to watch the fight that would come out of that. So many angels had been killed in the apocalypse and she didn’t want to lose any more of her garrison. 

Euphemia landed, looking around for Suzaku. It didn’t take long to find him; he was just standing in the backyard of a house, staring at something that Euphemia couldn’t see. She frowned and marched up behind him, sure that he would sense her. When he turned around, she could remind him of his duties and they would return. She didn’t mind him drawing strength from the places that he loved the most, but there was a time and place.

Suzaku didn’t even seem to notice her presence, staring fixedly at the human that was raking the last of the leaves that had fallen into a bag. Euphemia sighed, reaching out for Suzaku only to pull back as the human looked up.

There was no mistaking Lelouch Lamperouge, the sword of Michael, Righteous Man and savior of the world.

Euphemia swallowed, torn between introducing herself or pulling Suzaku away. She settled on the latter, orders winning out over human niceties. Then the human looked over at them, frowning at he stared at where they stood.

Euphemia was sure that he wouldn’t them; both her and Suzaku were invisible to him. But that didn’t explain why Suzaku straightened up, Euphemia getting a glimpse of something like joy on her captain’s face. Suzaku even took a step forward, freezing when someone called out from the house.

"Lelouch?"

Euphemia stepped around Suzaku to look at the back doors, seeing a red headed woman leaning against the doors. Lelouch turned as well, Suzaku slumping as soon as Lelouch’s gaze had moved away. 

The woman leaned further out, a smile on her face. “Could you pick up Isabel from soccer practice? Emergency PTA meeting.”

"Sure." Lelouch left the rake and the bag of leaves in the backyard, walking up the steps. When he passed the woman, he leaned close to the woman to kiss her on the lips. Suzaku flinched like he had been stabbed at the simple contact, Euphemia tipping her head to the side. She didn’t get long to contemplate Suzaku’s reaction because Lelouch was pulling away and speaking again. "Give them hell, Shirley."

Shirley grinned and gave him a push back into the house. “Always do.”

The door shut behind them, Suzaku taking a deep breath. He turned around, only then realizing that Euphemia was standing beside him. He jumped and stumbled backwards. “Euphy!”

"Sorry. I was just looking for you." She noticed how his gaze jumped from her to the house and then back again. "Was I interrupting something?"

"No. I was just…"

"Checking up on him?" She offered Suzaku a smile, trying to calm him down. Euphemia reached out to touch Suzaku’s arm, feeling him relax under the touch. "You know, if we had the support of the Righteous Man, more angels would come to our side."

"No. There was…He’s…Lelouch is off limits, to all of us." Suzaku looked down at the ground. "He’s done."

"Oh."

Suzaku cleared his throat. “I assume that I’m needed in Heaven.”

He was gone before Euphemia got the chance to answer, leaving her standing in the vacant back yard. She turned in place before sighing and shaking her head.

Now she knew where Suzaku had been going when he disappeared. She had expected that he still felt some kind of attachment to the human that he had raised from hell and fought alongside. After all, Lelouch and Nunnally had taken the place of the angels for the year that Suzaku had been falling slowly. But she had never expected the attachment to be emotional; at least to the level that Suzaku was showing now.

She bit her lip, jumping when she realized that she had let the habits of her vessel take over. Euphemia stared at the ground, resisting the urge to give into any other nervous, human habits while she thought over the situation.

Suzaku would be distracted from the war, torn in two by his attachment to the humans. The obvious path would be to separate him completely from the humans, but that would be too cruel. The initial act of free will that had started the war couldn’t be undone. So they would have to shift to accommodate him. Euphemia would take on more command duties herself if she had to.

"You look like you’re in trouble, angel."

Euphemia turned, staring at the demon that was standing between the trees in the yard. She reacted automatically, letting her sword slide into her hand. To her surprise, the demon held up her hands and took a step back.

"I’m not here to fight."

"Then what do you want."

"A deal, a mutually beneficial one."

Euphemia hesitated a moment before raising her sword. “I don’t make deals.”

"You might want to consider this one." C.C. lifted her hands, holding them level. "On one side you have Suzaku, on the other, Raphael." She lifted her left hand up higher than her right. "See what I mean? That’s the way the war is going to go and you know it."

"No."

"I know you’re not dumb, just loyal." C.C. shrugged. "And, if I may share a secret, I would prefer not to have another apocalypse. I may have been hanging by Lucifer’s side the first time, but I see the light now. There’s a place for me that means I won’t have to be kicking around in the dirt of crossroads forever."

"Get to your point."

"We have the same problem." C.C nodded towards her hands again. "On one side we have the demon that moved when Lucifer fell, the one that was never loyal to him. On the other, we have me. And I really want him out of power."

"To save your own hide."

C.C. laughed and lowered her hands. “You’re doing the same thing. My reasons just happen to be less noble.”

Euphemia glared at the demon. She knew that she should smite the demon and return to Heaven, but C.C. was speaking the truth. There was no way that they would be able to defeat Raphael, he was too powerful. They would need an edge, one that they no longer had with weapons missing from Heaven. Making a deal with a demon couldn’t be too bad compared to what Raphael would do to the world if he won. And it was probably better to know the next ruler of Hell.

She slipped the sword back up her sleeve, walking over until she was standing right in front of the demon. “What’s your plan?”

"We’re hijacking a plan." C.C. nodded slowly. "You see, V.V. currently has plans for Heaven; he wants you all gone. So he’s going to get some extra souls and attack Heaven."

Euphemia snorted, rolling her eyes. “He can’t.”

"Oh yes he can. There’s a feast if you know where to look." When Euphemia remained silent, C.C. sighed. "He’s going to open Purgatory."

"Impossible."

"That’s what I thought, until I thought about it some more." C.C. leaned in close with a smile. "Let him do all the work and then strike, put the fear of God or whatever you have left up there into them, and then use the work to our advantage. Split the souls right down the middle and we both have fuel for our efforts. And the best part is we won’t have to talk to each other again after this."

Euphemia swallowed, glancing back at the house. Suzaku wouldn’t approve, nor would any of the other angels on their side. But it would keep Lelouch safe and Suzaku would be able to visit his human without distractions. All Euphemia had to do was to keep their side alive until they acted.

She nodded and took C.C’s hand.


	23. Chapter 23

Lelouch froze as he stared into the dilapidated house and the woman that was sprawled out on one of the two chairs that were still functional.

C.C. just gave him a lazy wave. “It’s about time you two got here.”

Lelouch immediately reached for the knife, forgetting that he had given it to Nunnally. He looked back at his sister, not surprised that she just looked slightly interested in the fact that there was a demon in the room. Lelouch fought the urge to roll his eyes and the rising feeling of unease that he was slowly getting used to. Nunnally without a soul just made her more likely to sit back and calculate the odds in her favor instead of rushing in to help him. It reminded Lelouch eerily of himself and made him want to shiver.

Nunnally was the kind one, his conscience. If she wasn’t around to temper him then there were so many things that could go wrong.

He looked away from his sister, tensing as C.C. appeared right in front of him. The demon smiled and reached up to pat his cheek. “Let’s get the gang all here, shall we? Call down your angel.”

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, about to argue when he heard Nunnally shout, “Suzaku!”

"Nunnally!"

She shrugged, looking unrepentant. “I’m tired of being kept on a leash. It makes more sense if we find a way around working for V.V. until he gives me my soul back. Because he won’t and you know it.”

"But-"

"C.C. is giving us the advantage, she wants Suzaku here." Nunnally tilted her head to the side, looking confused. She was probably wondering why he couldn’t see that the plan made sense. The problem was that he could, but he could also see where the plan could go horribly wrong.

He didn’t get the chance to explain himself before there was a rustle of feathers, Suzaku and Euphemia landing in the room. Suzaku already had his blade out and was inching between them and the demon. C.C. just looked amused, the demon crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s good to see you two again. Still fighting the good fight?”

When neither Suzaku nor Euphemia answered, C.C. rolled her eyes and flopped back into the chair. “You angels are no fun. But don’t worry; I’m not here to hurt your pets.” Lelouch sputtered at the name, C.C. ignoring him completely. “I’ve come to cut a deal. I’m sure you don’t want them slaving under the new King of Hell and I’m sure you don’t want V.V. to get the power he needs to mess up your perfect little heaven. So here’s a compromise. I show you where V.V. is and you kill him.”

Lelouch stepped up to stand beside Suzaku, aware that the angel had raised an arm to keep him back. “Why?”

C.C. shrugged. “Because he’s a pain in my ass. I’ve had to run and hide since you and your sister took Lucifer down and I’m tired of it. It’s hard to cut deals on the crossroads when someone is always coming after you.”

"That’s your fault." Nunnally spoke up. "You chose the wrong side."

"I did, but now I’m fixing it. It’s cold out here on my own and I’ve run out of friends in low places." C.C. stood up and offered her hand to them. "So, here’s the deal. I give you V.V. on a platter and you get rid of him. No souls exchanged. Well, except for Nunnally’s." C.C. smiled over at Nunnally. "I’m sure that something can be done about that."

Lelouch pushed forward before he had thought the proposal through all the way. He was tired of having to watch his sister, tired of having to watch his own back _because_ of his sister. The apocalypse was over and he was going to take his one chance of having his family back.

He ignored the way that Suzaku tugged on the back of his jacket, shrugging off the angel. Lelouch grabbed onto C.C’s hand, using the handshake to pull her close. “Don’t screw us over.”

C.C. smiled up at him. “Perish the thought.”

—-

Lelouch fumbled with the stake that Nunnally had passed him, managing to thread it through the door handles before stumbling away. Nunnally was already working on the salt line that would keep the hellhounds at bay for a short time.

He backed against the nearest wall, pressing a hand to his stomach just to check that his intestines were all in place. There was nothing like the sound of howling to make his stomach turn. Lelouch tipped his head back and took a deep breath, forcing himself to concentrate on the situation.

They were in bad shape. The door wouldn’t hold and they had already lost two men in the dash to safety. They had one demon who was sure to desert them at any minute, Nunnally sans soul and a single angel. Thankfully, Suzaku had stuck with them, sending Euphemia up to keep up the war effort. Lelouch was sure that Euphemia was a good soldier, but he had never seen her fight. He trusted Suzaku more on that count alone.

He pushed away from the wall, glad that Suzaku was hovering close by. The angel always had an air of invincibility around him. “What do we do now?”

"I was going to give you a distraction." C.C. sounded annoyed, the demon pacing in the hallway. "But I’m stuck here with the rest of you."

Nunnally took a step forward, drawing out the knife. “You promised-“

"From one meatsuit to another." C.C. waved one hand. "There’s plenty around here, especially if one of you doesn’t mind sharing."

Lelouch shivered and stepped closer to Nunnally. He had been lucky enough to avoid possession throughout his career as a hunter and he was eager not to break his record.

Something of that must have shown on his face because C.C. laughed. “Right then. You keep that knife of yours for V.V. Stab that bastard for me.”

Nunnally tucked the knife back into her pocket. “And what are you going to do?”

"Plan C." She winked at them before grabbing onto Suzaku’s black jacket and pulling him close. Lelouch only got a brief glimpse of Suzaku’s surprised expression before C.C. had gotten a grip on Suzaku’s hair. She used the hold to tilt his head down. Then they were kissing.

Lelouch thought he heard Nunnally make an interested hum, but he was still working through the image of the angel, _his_ angel, kissing a demon. Lelouch flinched as he saw one of C.C’s hands slip from Suzaku’s jacket only to slip underneath the jacket. Lelouch had to look away, torn between confusion and disgust.

He tensed as he heard a soft moan, curiosity winning over disgust. Lelouch looked back over just in time to see them separate for a moment, the angel and demon staring at each other for a moment before Suzaku moved.

Suzaku crowded C.C. up against the wall, pressing his hands on either side of her head. For a moment, Lelouch thought that Suzaku was going to smite C.C. for what she had done. But then Suzaku was sliding one hand up into her hair and the other down to her hip. Lelouch heard C.C. give a laugh before Suzaku was kissing her again. 

This time Lelouch couldn’t look away, especially when C.C’s eyes flickered over to him and held his gaze. He thought he saw a smile on her face for a moment before she moaned and arched her body, Suzaku pressing her further back against the wall.

There was a full minute where the breathy sounds that both C.C. and Suzaku were making were barely audible over the growls of the hellhounds. Then Suzaku let the demon go. He took a step back, looking pleased with himself for a moment before his eyes went wide. Suzaku looked back at Lelouch, shakily raising his arm to wipe his mouth.

Lelouch swallowed, about to demand what Suzaku had been thinking when C.C. laughed and pushed away from the wall. She reached up to pat Suzaku on the shoulder, waving the angel’s sword in the other hand. “You may have convinced me to keep living there. That was beautiful.”

Suzaku blushed and looked away, the action earning another laugh from C.C. She looked away from the angel, grinning as she stared at Lelouch. “Oh, it looks like someone is jealous.”

Before Lelouch could argue, C.C. had advanced on him. She reached up to cup his cheek, her thumb stroking along his cheekbone. “There’s no reason to be jealous, boyo. But we don’t want anyone to be left out.”

She pressed her lips to his, Lelouch locking up completely. He looked between Nunnally and Suzaku, trying to figure out what he was supposed to be doing. Neither of them offered any advice, Suzaku still looking shocked at his own daring and Nunnally just looking impatient. 

C.C. laughed against his lips, pulling away with a pat of Lelouch’s cheek. “We’ll have to work on that. I’ll get a good kiss out of you.”

She winked at him and waved them all away. Lelouch bristled at the easy dismissal, close to demanding that she tell him what was going on when Suzaku grabbed his sleeve and began to haul him down the hall.

Lelouch exchanged a glance at Suzaku, sure that his own face was stuck in the same frozen in the same expression of confusion and shock.

\---

Euphemia kicked at the bag full of ashes, watching it tip over and spill some of the ashes on the floor. She glanced up as C.C. pulled herself from the table, the demon shaking out her arms.

"A little late there."

"Why did you have to kiss him?"

"Who? Suzaku?" C.C. tipped her head to the side and shrugged. "It seemed like the thing to do. Don’t tell me you have a crush on him."

Euphemia blushed and looked away. “He is my commander.”

"And you’ve been slumming with the humans for too long." C.C. huffed and walked over to crouch by the bag. She sifted through the ashes, checking for any fragments of bone left. When there were none to be found, she stood up and wiped her hands on her pants. "Well, that was a thorough job. And look, V.V. was nice enough to leave us all of his information."

C.C. smiled at her, Euphemia finding herself smiling back. For the first time since they had started to fight Raphael, it looked like they had a chance.

She tensed in the next moment, glancing up. It was a call from Suzaku, another battle to fight. Euphemia sighed, jumping when C.C. leaned into her space. “Call on angel radio? Don’t worry. I’ll sort through this and let you know when I find something.”

Euphemia nodded, leaving C.C. alone in the room.

C.C. waved at the spot the angel had been standing in. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

When no reply came, she stretched her arms over her head, feeling her shoulders pop. C.C. hummed happily to herself, turning around and beginning to sort through the papers that were scattered everywhere.


	24. Chapter 24

Suzaku landed in a deserted warehouse, looking around nervously. He had been called here just after a battle, Mariel indicating that she wanted to speak to him away from Heaven. Her request made sense, because there were few places in Heaven that were really safe to talk. They couldn’t be sure if Raphael had spies within their ranks, none of them had actually expected to make it so far, not that Suzaku blamed them. He had just been a foot soldier before he had rebelled and then he had stopped the apocalypse. Euphemia had been a messenger; she had seen combat but not to the lengths that Suzaku had. And Gino had spent years on earth surrounding himself with the things that other angels considered sinful temptations. By all rights, Raphael should have crushed them very early on. Either way, they were winning, which was a miracle.

He turned at the sound of wings, nodding when he saw Mariel making her way through the boxes in the warehouse. His lieutenant looked nervous, which was enough to set him on edge. She could be a spy for Raphael, or they could have been surrounded while they were traveling here. Another battle could have been started in Heaven, which meant that they would have to wait for another respite to talk again, and Suzaku was sure that there were very few of those left. At least he knew that Lelouch and Nunnally were safe, they would be in 1861 until he could go and retrieve them.

It was an exercise in trust not to call on his blade. Instead, he just clenched his right hand into a fist and walked towards Mariel, trying to look calm. He was her leader; he had to be strong to give her confidence. He had learned that much from the angels.

“Mariel-”

“We need to talk.”

Suzaku was taken aback by the demand. Mariel was usually a quiet angel, one who usually followed orders without question. Usually, Suzaku would be glad that Mariel was showing an inclination towards free will, but her urgency worried him. He took a step closer to her, looking around the warehouse to check for other angels. When he was sure that they were alone, he nodded at Mariel. “Quickly. I only have a few hours.”

That didn’t get the reaction that he was expecting, Mariel narrowing her eyes. Obviously, it wasn’t the answer that she was expecting. Suzaku didn’t want to have to push his position as her commander, but he would if he needed to. He was not going to let Nunnally and Lelouch get stuck in the past. Gino was already occupied setting up the weapons that they had recovered, and he wasn’t the biggest fan of the Lamperouges, or not of Lelouch. Euphemia was finishing up a skirmish and wouldn’t be able to come and help for a while longer. Suzaku was effectively stuck on earth until the time was up.

Mariel took a deep breath, keeping her distance from him. “Suzaku, I didn’t want to say anything, but it’s gone too far. I can’t ignore it any longer. There have been…rumors.”

Suzaku inched forward, shocked when Mariel kept the distance between them. He swallowed, taking a step back to try and convince Mariel to relax. If there were rumors bad enough that Mariel would report to him directly in secret, then they might have a spy in their ranks. “What rumors?”

Mariel shook her head. “I didn’t want to believe them. I just need to know if they are true.”

“If what are true?” Suzaku looked around, highly aware of how time was running out for him. “Mariel, you need to tell me. I don’t have the time for this.”

“I know your secret! I know what you’re doing and you need to stop before it hurts all of us. You’re right to want to defeat Raphael, but this is not the right way.” Suzaku stared at her, trying to come up with something to say, but Mariel plunged right on. “We put our faith in you, Suzaku, we thought that you could help us. But look what you’ve turned into.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Playing innocent won’t help you. If you won’t stop this, Suzaku, then I will.”

Mariel’s blade slid into her hand, Suzaku staring at it as he tried to process what was going on. He had no idea what Mariel was talking about, aside from his continued association with the Lamperouges. But that wasn’t a secret; every angel in Heaven knew that he was still keeping up with them. Every angel knew that, if they were in danger, he would abandon everything to save them. Gino and Euphemia knew to compensate for his weakness to the point that they had not told him that Lelouch had briefly been a vampire until he danger was passed, all because they had needed Suzaku to focus on battle. Suzaku doubted that he had any secrets that all of Heaven didn’t know about.

His distraction gave Mariel enough of an opening to rush in and stab him in his side, Suzaku shouting and falling to his knees.

He pressed a hand against the wound, staring at the blue light and blood that was leaking out between his fingers. Suzaku didn’t have time to decide if the wound would be fatal or not, Mariel already coming in for a second attack. Suzaku gritted his teeth and took flight, appearing behind Mariel to swipe at her. She backed away, putting distance between them before lining up for an attack.

“We trusted you!” Mariel charged forward, Suzaku ducking around one swing before shoving her aside.

Despite her attack, he didn’t want to hurt her. She was a good soldier, one of his better administrators and he couldn’t afford to lose any more from his side or the war would fall apart. Suzaku swallowed and watched as Mariel swung around. Then again, if he was killed, the war would screech to a halt and the apocalypse would be revived. Not that it mattered, because Lelouch and Nunnally would be stuck in 1861. Suzaku couldn’t allow either of those to happen, so he would have to choose the lesser evil. And here he was at an advantage; Mariel was not used to fighting in a vessel.

Suzaku lunged forward, reaching out with his free hand to grab her wrist and pull her closer. Mariel struggled, Suzaku having to duck around her back to avoid being hit again with her blade. He was almost too slow, the steady leak of his grace from the wound in his side hampering him. Suzaku gritted his teeth, stabbing Mariel through the heart from the back as soon as he had her still.

Mariel gasped and went limp almost instantly, Suzaku gently guiding her to the floor. He watched through the flash of light, staring at the wings that were burned onto the floor and shaking his head. Mariel had been loyal, a good soldier and her death had been a waste. Although, it had brought to light the fact that there was something happening in his ranks, something that might send the angels over to Raphael’s side. It was something to investigate later, the throb in his side and the steady march of time taking up his full attention.

Suzaku pulled back his jacket, hissing at the sight of the slash on his side. Taking into account the flight back to Schneizel’s house, he might not have enough power to pull Lelouch and Nunnally back, but he would try. There were other options that he could try, ones that would either involve calling Euphemia down from the frontlines or less savory ways to gain power.

He shivered and took flight, managing to land in Schneizel’s kitchen without incident. It was the first step after that troubled him.

Suzaku teetered on his feet, reaching out for something to catch himself on. His hand found the back of a chair, Suzaku leaning on it as he tried to get his balance back. The sounds of people moving made him look up, the move ruining his carefully gathered equilibrium. Suzaku got a glimpse of Schneizel and Kanon hurrying over to him before he lost his hold on the chair and blacked out.


	25. Chapter 25

Lelouch sat by Shirley’s bed side, his head in his hands. He couldn’t bring himself to look up at her, not knowing that she was dying right in front of him and that it was his fault.

If he had kept them safer then Shirley and Isabel wouldn’t have been captured by C.C, wouldn’t have been used as a distraction. If he had managed to keep Euphemia from continuing her deal with the demon, he would have been able to keep them safe.

If he hadn’t gone to them in the first place…

Lelouch looked up at a soft knock to the door, reaching for a weapon before he realized who was there. He stared at Suzaku for a moment, torn between just pulling out his knife or letting the angel in. He didn’t trust Suzaku, not after what Euphemia had done. Euphemia was under Suzaku’s command and, while Suzaku hadn’t known about her deal, Lelouch did know that Suzaku was losing the war. The angel could be desperate enough to take Euphemia’s help. Then again, Suzaku had been there when he had needed him, fighting off the demons while Lelouch had carried Shirley out.

He swallowed and sat back in his chair, the relaxation enough of an answer for Suzaku to come in. The angel stepped quietly into the hospital room, pointedly staying away from Shirley’s bed. Suzaku came to stand by Lelouch’s chair, just to his right. Lelouch tipped his head back to look at the angel.

“Isabel is with Nunnally, she’s safe and asleep.” Suzaku glanced over at Shirley before sighing and resting a hand on the back of Lelouch’s chair. “I didn’t know.”

Lelouch snorted. “She’s your subordinate.”

“I have many subordinates. I didn’t know. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been spending most of my time with you and Nunnally. I haven’t been much of a commander.”

Lelouch hummed, not quite willing to make the insulting jab that he wanted to. At least Suzaku had been there for him. All Euphemia had done was to show up and plead her innocence as well, but Lelouch couldn’t bring himself to believe her. It had been Euphemia’s partner that had kidnapped Shirley and Isabel in the first place. He closed his eyes and hung his head, still able to see the black shadows of Suzaku’s wings as the angel had fought for him.

He sighed, opening his eyes again. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“Why not? Because you would rather I wasn’t there? You can trust me, Lelouch and I will keep proving that to you until you believe me.”

Lelouch wanted to tell Suzaku off, tell the angel that it wasn’t that easy anymore. The apocalypse was over and they were both desperate keep what they considered theirs safe. Lelouch was well aware that they could easily end up enemies, like he and Euphemia had become. He didn’t want to think about the time he would fight against Suzaku, because it reminded him too much of the future he had visited.

He looked up as Suzaku walked past him, the angel pausing by the side of Shirley’s bed. Lelouch went to stand up, calmed by the steady look that Suzaku sent him. The angel shifted so he was turned to the side, no longer blocking Shirley from Lelouch’s line of sight. “Do you want me to help her?”

Lelouch nodded, too unsure of his voice to answer. He stood up as Suzaku reached over to touch Shirley’s forehead. To his relief, Shirley’s breathing evened out. Lelouch glanced over at the monitors, taking deep breaths as he took in all the information. She would live; another death wasn’t going to be on his conscious. Lelouch could go back to hunting without worrying about Shirley and Isabel, but that wasn’t true either. They would always be in danger while they were associated with him. C.C. and Euphemia could use them to get Lelouch to do anything that they wanted him to do. It was a glaring weakness more so than Nunnally. Nunnally knew how to defend herself against most of the supernatural creatures, Shirley and Isabel only knew the bare basics. Lelouch didn’t want to have to teach them how to do that, because it would be like admitting that they couldn’t be safe.

He reached down to hold Shirley’s hand, glad that she didn’t react. He wanted her to sleep as long as she could; as long as it took for him t figure out what his next move had to be. It wasn’t a matter of _deciding_ , but of doing. Lelouch knew what he had to do, but it would hurt. Still, it would keep them safe, and that was more important than anything.

“Suzaku, I need you to do something for me.”

The angel glanced over at him, eyeing Lelouch for a moment before nodding. “Anything.”

“I need you to wipe her memory, Shirley and Isabel.” He watched Suzaku recoil at the request. Lelouch sighed and leaned his hip against the bed. “I need you to do this, Suzaku. I can’t keep them safe, this showed me that. And…they mean a lot to me. I can’t just let them get captured again, they don’t deserve that.”

“I could-”

“You don’t have the forces to keep a watch over them. You can barely keep up with the two of us and fight your war.  This is the best option.”

Suzaku looked up at him. “It doesn’t have to be.”

“I can’t lose them, Suzaku. After what…I can’t. It will be enough to know that they are alive.”

The angel hesitated for a moment more before nodding and stepping around Lelouch. He rested two fingers against Shirley’s forehead, Lelouch turning away from the procedure. They would have to go to Isabel next, and Lelouch only hoped that she would remain asleep. And he could only hope that Nunnally wouldn’t say anything about his choice. He knew that his sister had wanted to give him a chance at a normal life, but it hadn’t worked out and Lelouch wasn’t going to risk Shirley and Isabel again to place house.

He walked out of the room before Suzaku could talk to him about what had just happened. At the moment, he just wanted to act. He would have to stay long enough to see that Shirley woke up and to explain the situation to her. After that, he would drive as far away as he could, just to get away from his failure.


	26. Chapter 26

Euphemia dropped down to earth, back to the cabin where the demons had been earlier. She reached down to straighten where her skirt had gotten rumpled on the flight down, using the chance to look around the room.

To her surprise, Lelouch and Nunnally were still there.

She frowned and started across the room to them. “Why-“

There was the tell tale whoosh of flame, Euphemia spinning around to see the holy fire going up in a circle around her, with Suzaku hovering just on the edges. The other angel was resolutely not looking at her as he circled back around to stand behind Lelouch and Nunnally, looking like he was trying to sink back into the shadows. 

Euphemia bit her lip, choosing to stare down at her hands instead of up at the others; it was much easier that way. “Why have you done this?”

"Because we need to talk." It didn’t surprise Euphemia in the least that Lelouch was the one to speak up. She glanced up long enough to see his practiced smirk slide into place, the one that he usually turned on demons, the one that was proof enough that he was confident that he was going to win. "You slipped up earlier. You said that you were ready to support Suzaku when he went to track down C.C."

"Yes. And I stand by that."

"How can you?!" Lelouch lost his temper for a brief moment, obviously struggling to rein it back it. "How can you, when you were not present for that conversation? How can you know that your general was going to leave the field of battle when Suzaku wouldn’t even tell his own troops that?"

"He’d tell me."

"But I haven’t." Suzaku finally spoke up. He shifted nervously before looking up at her. "Euphy, why were you spying on us?"

"I wasn’t."

"I just want to know a reason, Euphy." Suzaku walked forward until he was standing just at the edge of the circle, close enough for Euphemia to want to push him back. He reached out for her, shrinking back before his arm could cross over the fire. "Please. I just want to understand."

She hesitated, looking between the three of them. Of course they wanted to understand, they were her friends, her allies. Suzaku had been right in choosing to stay close to the humans, he had been right in trying to get the angels to realize that there was a way to live with free will. She had managed to do it and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. It was why she had to continue what she was doing.

Suzaku would lose the war. She hadn’t known that from the start, she had hoped that there would be enough angels on their side to balance him against Raphael. But the angels were slow to change and Suzaku was generous and loving. He wouldn’t let his friends down on earth suffer because he wasn’t there when they needed them. Between helping on earth and fighting in heaven, he was losing what power he needed. There were weapons of course, but Euphemia hadn’t been able to find them. Raphael had been faster there, so all they had was a single deal that C.C. had dangled in front of Euphemia when she had been desperate.

They could win the war with just a couple of souls, souls that had been lost to darkness for far too long. Once they had won, Euphemia would help them rise to paradise instead of being lost in the darkness of Purgatory. Of course, C.C. would have her share, but Euphemia wouldn’t hesitate to fly down to Hell to steal the worthy ones back. After all, Suzaku had done it and his gamble had paid off.

How many souls had been lost to Hell already that might have been saved?

She looked over at Lelouch, the explanation dying before she could even start. Lelouch wouldn’t see it as she did. He only saw things in his own twisted world view that Euphemia couldn’t even begin to understand. Why Lelouch persisted in seeing only bad where there was good baffled her.

Euphemia gave Suzaku one last glance before pulling herself to attention. She was a soldier of the Lord, she would not be intimidated. “It’s complicated.”

Lelouch motioned with his hand. “Then explain.”

"I can’t."

"There’s an angel right in front of you if you think that we humans won’t understand your heavenly logic."

Euphemia glanced at Suzaku again, hating herself for the sadness that she had brought to him. But there was no other way. He would die if he went up against Raphel without her help. She had seen too many other angels reduced to an empty vessel and feathers made of ash on the ground. She was not about to let Suzaku become another one of them.

She lifted her chin. “I’m not going to back down. This will stop the fighting, Lelouch. No one else will have to die. You and Nunnally won’t have to sacrifice yourselves anymore. You’ll be  _safe_.”

Lelouch edged close to Nunnally, slinging a protective arm over her shoulders. “I don’t want safe. Not like this.”

Euphemia opened her mouth to argue, cut off at the sound of wind rushing around the cabin. The demons were coming back to see what she had done. That was something that she couldn’t get the others involved in. She could always talk to them later; explain that she just wanted to create the kinder and gentler world that they deserved. To do that, they had to be safe. “Go.”

Lelouch and Nunnally didn’t need to be told twice, the two humans running out of the cabin. Suzaku remained behind, swaying in place.

"Euphy, we can fix this."

She smiled, wanting nothing more than to reach out for him. “It’s not broken.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

Suzaku’s eyes widened and he took off in a flurry of wings, probably to follow Lelouch and Nunnally.

Euphemia just smiled, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. Everything would go according to plan; she would make sure of it.

\---

Euphemia looked down at the five that were assembled before her, pleased at the showing. When she had taken the next step in her plan, she had expected to do it alone; especially after the Lamperouges had repudiated her. Instead, they were here, the first five worshipers of her reign as God.

She smiled at them, pointedly ignoring the angel blade on the floor. She knew that humans reacted with fear to anything that they didn’t understand, and she fully expected the four humans to be frightened. She was God after all; there was a measure of fear to be expected along with the love and worship that were her right. All it would take was some easing into the role, something she had expected that from the start. She was not like her father or any god that they had seen. She was not going to be lured away from her careful watch of humanity or bribed away from her job. She would not abandon her children to rule the world, not like her father had done. She was going to fix everything that had gone wrong.

Euphemia stepped forward, the four humans backing away. The fifth stepped between her and the rest. Euphemia smiled at the sight of the angel that was standing between her and her flock.

Suzaku had been the one to show her how to come to this end, how to reach this point where she could actually help instead of watching him struggle to do the right thing. It was for Suzaku that she had taken the souls, because he didn’t deserve to die horribly on the field of battle for a righteous cause, he deserved to be on earth with his beloved humans. Before, she hadn’t been able to grant such a wish, but no she had the power to. She could give these five everything they wanted and more.

She reached out to him, a bit disturbed by the way that he flinched away from her. “Suzaku…”

“Eu-Lord I…”

“Call me Euphy. I’m no different from before, at least not in purpose and appearance.” That didn’t seem to settle him. Suzaku moved further between her and the humans, Euphemia watching as his right hand twitched. It didn’t make sense that he would summon his blade, especially when he had seen Nunnally attempt to stab her before. But his protection was noted. That was to be encouraged.

Euphemia took a step to the side, catching a glimpse of where Nunnally was huddled in Lelouch’s arm, still cradling her bleeding hand. Then Suzaku was between her and the humans again, tense and ready for a fight. Euphemia took a step back to placate him, wanting Suzaku to listen to reason before she started with orders. She was not going to be like her father, she was going to be a kind God. “I stopped the war, Suzaku. The apocalypse will never be started again. I did that for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks?” She turned her head to look at Lelouch, noticing the way that he handed off his sister to Schneizel before walking to stand by Suzaku. Of course, Suzaku held out an arm to keep Lelouch back, but Euphemia expected as much. Just as she expected Lelouch to push at Suzaku’s arm and for the angel not to give to the pressure. “After what she did with C.C? After what she did to Nunnally?”

“I can fix Nunnally.” Euphemia looked over to where Nunnally was, feeling pity for the human. Her attempt at pulling Nunnally from the cage as an angel had failed, but Euphemia knew that she could do better this time. She would be able to reassemble Nunnally’s wall without a problem, but she was feeling kind. She would ease Nunnally’s suffering by cleansing her soul. It was the least she could do to reward her favorite humans. It would work just as well as a sign to the other angels whose side she was on. Their once father had told them to serve the humans, Euphemia intended to do just that. There were some minor things to fix first, but Euphemia would tackle those when her favorites were taken care of.

Carefully, she stepped around Suzaku, moving slowly so he wouldn’t feel threatened. He could do nothing to harm her, but it was important that the humans felt safe. She had already been struck by one of them out of fear and she wanted to avoid it again. Not dying just seemed to frighten them more.

Euphemia stopped when Suzaku turned his back to her, the angel holding Lelouch back as the human struggled to reach her. She held up her hands to show that she meant no harm, some dark part of her seething at the fact that she had to coddle these humans. Did they not realize how lucky they were? Did they not realize that they were her favorites? She could do whatever they wanted, give them whatever they wanted. All they had to do was ask. But, instead, they fought against her.

She stopped in front of Schneizel, looking at the man as he twisted slightly, still protecting Nunnally. It wouldn’t help him any, but Kanon was ready with a gun, she could see the glint of metal out of the corner of her eye. Euphemia turned her head to look at Lelouch, watching him struggle in Suzaku’s arms. “I could heal her, Lelouch, take away everything bad that happened. She would be back to normal.”

“Don’t you touch her!” Lelouch hissed out the words, Euphemia getting a glimpse of the demon that he had briefly become. It was almost enough to make her recoil, but she had more control of herself than that. She was just angry that Lelouch didn’t trust her.

“You would let her suffer?”

She didn’t get an answer for her question from Lelouch. Suzaku turned his head to look at her, still holding Lelouch back. “Euphy, please, just stop.”

Euphemia jerked back the hand that she had lifted, staring at Suzaku in shock.

Her loyal soldier, the one that she had planned all of this for. The one who had showed all of them the right path to travel. And he was taking the wrong side, he was going _against_ her. After everything, Suzaku was choosing the humans over her when he knew that she had to be right.

She took a step back, turning to face them. They may have been her favorite humans, but they were betraying her. It was not to be tolerated.

“I will not.”

“Euphy-”

“Silence!” Suzaku flinched when she raised her voice, some part of her glad that he still obeyed. He was a soldier in the end, one who was meant to serve God, not the human that had convinced him to fall. Euphemia looked around the room before pointing to Nunnally. “I will heal her, as I promised to do, if you kneel.”

“What?”

“You can’t-”

“Lelouch, be _quiet_.”

Euphemia didn’t bother to see who was talking. She turned around and walked away. There were more things to be done, like to check on the situation in Heaven. Then there was a world to set to order. They were attempting to betray her, but they were her favorites. She could afford to be lenient once. “I will return to you and, when I do, I expect you to treat me as your new God. If you don’t, then I have no more use anymore. Suzaku, come.”

She tipped her head slightly to the side, watching as Suzaku contemplated not obeying. She wouldn’t accept that from her own soldier. Euphemia twitched a finger, watching as Suzaku jerked forward, forced into flying to her side. She smiled at him for that, glad that she hadn’t been forced to use more extreme measures. Euphemia looked the group over one more time before spreading her wings and returning to Heaven, towing Suzaku along behind her.

—-

Lelouch stared at where Suzaku had fallen to his knees on the bank of the reservoir, the angel staring at the spot where Euphemia had disappeared into the water. Suzaku hadn’t moved since Euphemia had walked into the water nearly an hour ago.

He shivered at the memory. Dear, sweet Euphy warped beyond all recognition. The new god who had promised eternal happiness and peace while covered in the blood of the people who had resisted her. Even that was far removed from the Euphemia who had laughed and carelessly tossed Suzaku across the room while leaking black from her wounds, the one who had joyfully told them that Euphemia was gone, that there was only the Leviathan.

Lelouch turned away from the angel on the bank, making his way back to where he had parked the car. Nunnally was probably inside, dealing with her grief in her own way. Lelouch wouldn’t intrude on her, not for a little while longer. He just couldn’t stand the sight of Suzaku waiting for someone he loved so dearly to come back. Because Euphemia wouldn’t, they had lost her the moment she had taken all of those souls into herself.

No, they had lost her far earlier when she had naively made a deal with C.C.

He leaned back against the fence that surrounded the reservoir, staring up at the sky. Maybe they had lost her the moment they had stopped the Apocalypse. 

That was another image that Lelouch never wanted to think about again, Nunnally smiling at him as she willingly stepped into the Cage to save the world. And Euphemia had been the one to pull her out, Nunnally’s own angel.

He ducked his head, hitting the fence hard with one hand. The rattle must have covered up any sound that she made, because Lelouch jumped when C.C. spoke to him.

"A shame really. She would have been good for this world."

"Shut up."

That got a snort out of the demon. “I know this is a real emotional moment for you guys, but that won’t stop those things from spreading. That won’t save Euphemia.”

"I said, shut up!" Lelouch turned on her, ready to strangle C.C. only to be stopped by the smile on the demon’s face.

She stared up at him for a moment before taking a step forward, putting herself within easy reach. “But I can. I can help you save Euphemia. Two angels on your side have to be better than one. And it will get Suzaku to stop moping around, Nunnally to stop crying…It’s what you want, right?”

"I…" Lelouch swallowed and looked away. Demons always did this; they came at your most desperate hour and offered everything. He had agreed once before and had spent forty years in Hell for it. "I don’t-"

"I know you got burned on your first deal and that’s such a shame. But you’ll find that I am far better to deal with." She paused for a moment, just long enough for Lelouch to consider backing away. "I’ll tell you what; I might be inclined to do this for a minimal fee as long as you don’t mess this up in your usual way. I’ll help you search for dear Euphy and stop the Leviathan, all for one simple thing." She stood up on her tiptoes to whisper in Lelouch’s ear, Lelouch going still. "I want you to help me grant my wish. One little wish."

C.C. rocked back out of his reach again, her old smirk back. “It’s that simple Lelouch. You can fix everything.”

Lelouch swallowed, looking at the car and then the shore. They had recovered from worse; their father being killed by the same demon that slaughtered their mother, Nunnally dying only to be resurrected, Lelouch going to Hell, the Apocalypse. After losing so much, they couldn’t just lose Euphemia. She was the straw that finally broken the camel’s back.

"I accept the terms of your contract."

C.C. gave him a wolfish grin before pulling him in for a kiss. Lelouch froze up, feeling a puff of air as C.C. laughed against his lips before pulling away. She gave him a pat on the head before disappearing. It was only then that Lelouch noticed that Suzaku was staring at him.

He cleared his throat, refusing to look away from Suzaku. He had done nothing wrong, he was just attempting to fix what was broken.

Lelouch walked forward, intending to reach out to touch Suzaku’s shoulder only to pull his hand back at the last minute. Instead, he let his hand rest over his shoulder, rubbing over the hand print that Suzaku had left behind when Lelouch had been dragged from Hell. “We’ll get her back.”

Suzaku just gave him a curt nod and turned to walk back to the car. Lelouch followed after him, trying not to think about how easily he had done the one thing that they had all condemned Euphemia for.


	27. Chapter 27

Schneizel opened his eyes, able to hear the soft sound of the heart monitor before he could see anything, his vision blurring for a moment. He blinked in an attempt to clear it. Schneizel didn’t bother turning his head yet, it would take energy that he didn’t have. Until he felt steady enough, he was going to collect his thoughts, because they weren’t matching up to what he remembered.

The last thing he had seen was his own memories being slowly eaten up as he died. The last thing that he remembered was waking up long enough to scrawl numbers onto Nunnally’s hand in an attempt to give them the information he had died getting for them.

At the moment, Schneizel wasn’t sure if he regretted getting them the information or not. His judgment was still muddled by the fact that he had been shot in the head.

But that still didn’t explain why he was still alive. If the reaper who had been tailing him was to be believed, then he had been dying and Schneizel had not held onto much hope that he would be saved.

He closed his eyes again, the light from the room almost too bright for him. It was also easier to think with his eyes closed, he didn’t have to worry about cataloguing everything or looking for a weapon to defend himself with. As far as he knew, they were far away from any hospital that the Leviathans had taken over, so he wasn’t going to be harvested for organs for a Leviathan feast. Schneizel was sure that Lelouch and Nunnally wouldn’t leave his side until he was safe.

The sound of familiar voices made him shift, Schneizel turning his head towards where the door had to be. It was hard to hear them over the sound of the machines. It took him a moment to be able to hear the two people talking.

“He should be fine now.”

There was a soft grunt for an answer, something that Schneizel knew Lelouch and Nunnally would never make. Lelouch would have immediately begun to argue and Nunnally would have been silent. There were few people that would have come to see him, which meant that it was Kanon. Schneizel smiled to himself, turning his head towards the door so he could hear them better.

The other voice, one that had to be Suzaku, spoke up again. “If you don’t need me anymore, I’ll leave.”

“I think you should. Lelouch and Nunnally will be looking for you.” There was a hint of scolding in Kanon’s voice, Schneizel not surprised that Kanon was still on the defensive. It had been a close call from everything that Schneizel could remember and Kanon was bound to still be on edge. Still, Suzaku was the only angel left on their side since Euphemia had walked into the lake, they couldn’t let him disappear again. That had led to their problem in the first place.

He opened his eyes, attempting to say Kanon’s name only to have it come out as a cough. Schneizel caught a glimpse of Suzaku standing in the doorway before the angel was gone. The doorway was blocked as Kanon made his way back to the bed. Schneizel cleared his throat, only able to wheeze out Kanon’s name.

Kanon reached over for a cup of water and a straw, holding it out for him. Schneizel decided not to argue with Kanon, it was far more important to recover than to worry about his dignity. Dignity could get him killed. He sipped at the water, giving Kanon a look and waiting for an explanation.

Kanon sighed and dropped his gaze, staring at the bed. “It was a close one. I thought Suzaku wasn’t going to come.”

Schneizel swallowed and nudged the straw away from his mouth to speak. “Lelouch’s.”

That got a smile from Kanon. “Yes, he is Lelouch’s angel, but he comes whenever anyone calls. Even during his war. And I asked him about it. He said he was looking for God, even though we know that God is gone.”

Kanon scoffed, but Schneizel just looked back at the door. Suzaku’s actions made sense, as much sense as the actions of a desperate man could make. Heaven had to be in turmoil from what had happened with Euphemia, and Suzaku was the only angel left standing that could keep Heaven in order. He was also looking for Euphemia or ways to drag her back. After all, Suzaku had been brought back, there was no reason to believe that Euphemia couldn’t be brought back the same way. From what he had seen of the angel the few times that Lelouch and Nunnally had stopped by, Suzaku was as run down as he had been when he had been falling. Schneizel had a few theories on why Suzaku hadn’t fallen apart, but he didn’t want to linger on them at the moment.

He reached for the straw again, humming his thanks when Kanon pushed it closer to him. Schneizel drank a few more sips of water before leaning back, giving Kanon a look. “Levis?”

“Nowhere to be seen, except for when Dick drove by.” For a moment, Kanon looked like he wanted to kill something, not that Schneizel blamed him. Dick Roman had been a pain in their asses long enough, and by trying to kill Schneizel the Leviathan had crossed a line. Now Lelouch and Nunnally wouldn’t hesitate to chase after him with more anger and Schneizel was sure that Kanon wouldn’t stop until all of the Leviathans were dead. Kanon calmed himself a moment later, gingerly setting the glass aside. “And I’m not going to let you get close to them. We’re going into hiding.”

Schneizel made a noise of agreement, aware of how sleepy he was getting. He had managed to stay awake far longer than he had thought, but there had been angelic healing used on him; although he couldn’t be sure how much. Suzaku might have been subtle about his healing to keep the doctors from getting too suspicious on Lelouch’s orders. It would keep Schneizel off the radar for a little while longer, although Schneizel didn’t want to be stuck in the hospital for too much longer. There was no telling how long it would take Dick to decide to finish him off.

He sighed and shut his eyes, feeling Kanon adjust his pillows and blankets, talking all the while. “I’m looking into some of the safe houses around here, just as an intermediate. I have another one lined up further away, but I don’t want to risk taking you that far. But we’ll work from there to take on the Leviathans, no other hunts to distract us. And you are not going hunting until I’m sure you’re better.”

Schneizel didn’t bother to answer, already drifting away. He wouldn’t be hunting for a long time, he was sure that Kanon wouldn’t let him. And he didn’t feel the inclination to hunt; he had never really been the best at the physical part. Schneizel’s role had been in organization, keeping the hunters together and giving them the information that they needed. Now that he was out, he was sure that Kanon would take over for him or someone else would be given the job, Kanon seemed to be driven to kill Leviathans especially.

He yawned, pushing the thoughts away from now. For once, he could allow Kanon to watch over him. Maybe it would lend him insight to why Lelouch liked having Suzaku around.

Just before he fell asleep, he felt Kanon slide a hand into his. “I’m glad that…”

Kanon’s voice broke and he couldn’t finish his thought, but Schneizel understood the sentiment. He couldn’t imagine a life without Kanon either, Kanon his constant. To delete that would mean a completely new configuration and one that he was sure would be lacking.

Schneizel didn’t think he could actually stay awake long enough or articulate the sentiment in return, so he settled for squeezing Kanon’s hand. He continued to hold Kanon’s hand tightly as he slipped off to sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

Lelouch looked at the address written on the piece of paper, frowning as he glanced up at the house. He hoped Schneizel was right about this, Lelouch wasn’t sure that he could trust another faith healer. The last one they had encountered had been nothing but a fraud. He wasn’t willing to trust Nunnally’s health to another one. Then again, there was very little left. According to Suzaku’s last guess, Nunnally’s time was quickly coming down to hours.

He gritted his teeth and climbed out of the car, flicking the piece of paper back into the car. Lelouch would trust his cousin on this then, just because Schneizel had never led them wrong before. Besides, he had seemed genuinely worried about Nunnally. Worried for Schneizel at least.

Lelouch walked up to the house, running the information in his head one last time. According to Schneizel, this woman had been healing people around the country for months and it was legitimate. She specialized in the impossible, and the impossible is what he needed at the moment.

He reached up to knock on the door, wanting to take the sound back as soon as he made it. It was a faith healer in the end, and he needed it to work the first time. This was his last resort. Suzaku could only keep Nunnally alive for so long. The angel was getting tired, Lelouch could see it in Suzaku’s face and that was worrying. The last time Lelouch had seen Suzaku like that the angel was one step away from becoming human.

Just when he was thinking to turn around a leave the door opened, Lelouch looking away. He hadn’t expected anyone to be home. Lelouch cleared his throat, struggling to come up with something that didn’t sound like an accusation. “I was sent here by a friend. He said that you could help.”

“It depends.” Lelouch froze at the voice, looking up at the woman that had answered the door. “What do you need me to do?”

He gaped at her, trying to remember what he had come to say. He had been expecting a faith healer, but not Euphemia. Lelouch stared at the angel, only aware that the silence had gone on for so long when she reached out to touch his arm. “Are you alright?”

“Yes.” Lelouch jerked his arm away, rubbing it. “It’s just…Euphy?”

The woman tipped her head to the side, the motion so familiar that it hurt. “Euphy? I’m sorry, you must have the wrong house. I’m Michelle.”

Lelouch shook his head, trying to reconcile what he had just heard. Michelle was the spitting image of Euphemia, it was impossible that she was someone else. But Euphemia had died; she had been pulled down by the Leviathans and walked into a lake before any of them could have stopped her. The angel had ceased to exist, but there was this person standing before him. A person who had been said to have nearly magical healing powers, so Michelle couldn’t just be a physic or a wiccan. The only explanation for what Michelle was had to be an angel. Besides, Lelouch’s gut reaction was that this was Euphemia and he had learned to trust his gut above all things.

He cleared his throat, trying his hardest not to stare at her as much now. Even if he didn’t know what she really was, she was the best chance that Nunnally had and he was not about to pass it up. He would just kill her if she turned out to be a danger. “It’s my sister. She’s had…a couple of bad years and it’s finally caught up with her. She’ll die soon if I don’t do something. You’re the only chance I have left.”

If this person really was Euphemia, Lelouch was sure that she would drop everything and run after Nunnally. Of course, Michelle might do the same because she was a good person. Lelouch bit his lip, taking a step back. “I could pay you-”

“No.” Michelle shook her head. “I don’t accept payment for what I do. This is God’s work, because he has given this job to me. It’s not right to make people pay for that, especially when there are so desperate.”

He chuckled nervously. “I am that.”

“Well then, we’ll talk in the car.” She gave him a reassuring smile before leaning back into the house. “George, I’m going out. There’s another person that needs me.”

Lelouch didn’t hear George’s reply, but it was enough to make Michelle smile. He turned and walked back to the car, looking over his shoulder and wincing as he saw Michelle speaking with a man. Suzaku would be heartbroken if he found out about this.

Euphemia had always been special to Suzaku, Lelouch not sure how close they actually were. It had always been difficult to tell what they meant to each other. Lelouch had never been able to get over thinking about Suzaku as inherently different from the other angels. Suzaku had fallen and had been reinstated, but never reverted back to his pre-fallen attitude. Euphemia had never given them a hint until the end that she was anything but angelic. Euphemia had been a part of Suzaku’s garrison, his most trusted lieutenant after Gino, so Lelouch assumed they were close. Closer still if any of Suzaku’s sidelong glances at Euphemia had meant anything.

He sighed and rested his forehead against the car. Suzaku was already strung out trying to keep Nunnally alive and fighting Leviathans to the best of his abilities. The angel didn’t need a new set of disappointments. Lelouch reached into his pocket, brushing his fingers over his cell phone. He would tell Suzaku to leave before he and Michelle got to the hospital, make up something about how Michelle couldn’t work with an angel around. Anything to get Suzaku from seeing what Euphemia had become.

Lelouch looked up as Michelle opened the car door. The woman gave him another one of her smiles before sliding in, apparently having no qualms about getting into a car with a strange man. If she was still completely angel, then she would have had no problem in defending herself. Then again, all the people that came to Michelle would probably do anything to get their loved ones healed. Killing the one that could do that wouldn’t do them any good.

He shook his head and slid into the car, briefly tightening his hands on the steering wheel before forcing himself to relax. There were things that had to be done before they got back to the hospital, like filling Michelle in on the situation, and deciding what to do about her. She didn’t know who she was, and Lelouch was inclined to keep it that way. He wasn’t prepared to completely forgive her for what she had done and part of him just wanted to keep her in the dark to be able to get rid of her. After what Euphemia did, they didn’t need her ghost messing things up again, not after everything was getting back to normal. And there was a small part of him that wanted her to be happy after everything that had happened.

Still, until he knew what was going on with her, there was no way that he would let her stay with them. Not even if she helped Nunnally.

Lelouch put the car into drive, pulling out of the neighborhood. He tucked away any explanation of Michelle’s past life in favor of his sister. It wasn’t too hard to sound completely panicked about it, especially since it was now a chore not to check his watch every few moments. “Listen, I don’t know what you can do, but this isn’t physical.”

“Physical, mental, spiritual, I can do it all.”

“R-right. But this hasn’t just started, it’s been going on for a while. Nunnally thought she was in control but…”

He jumped as Michelle rested a hand on his arm. Lelouch swallowed and turned his head so he could look at her out of the corner of his eye. Michelle gave his arm a squeeze. “Nunnally is your sister?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, tell me about what’s wrong with Nunnally, everything you can remember. A little hint usually helps me work faster.”

Lelouch took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. When he was sure that he would be able to speak without his voice cracking embarrassingly, Lelouch began to give an abbreviated version of the situation.

—-

Nunnally knew that Suzaku was in the room, she had gotten a glimpse of the angel the last time that Lucifer had left her alone. But he had disappeared when the hospital staff had come in with her dinner, neither of them wanting to be separated. Suzaku was the only reason that she could keep eating without hallucinating maggots or pieces of dead bodies in her food. Earlier on, Suzaku had been able to help her sleep by keeping Lucifer at bay, but he hadn’t been able to help her much on that front since she had acknowledged Lucifer’s existence. Maybe she would get a few hours, but she would always wake up because of horrible nightmares or because Lucifer was singing at the top of his lungs and Suzaku would be on the other side of the room.

She appreciated the angel’s efforts, but she hated the fact that he was looking more run down with each day. Nunnally didn’t know if Suzaku had been cut off from Heaven and he was falling again or if it was because he was doing too many things at once. He was keeping her from dying, keeping Lucifer at bay, searching for Euphemia when they didn’t need him, acting as a go between for them and C.C. and trying to find a way to defeat the Leviathans. Nunnally didn’t know how Suzaku was holding himself together, and she couldn’t really get anything from Lelouch; Suzaku and Lelouch had stopped talking to each other when Lelouch had made the deal with C.C.

Nunnally sighed and leaned back against her pillows, just wanting to fall asleep. She hadn’t been able to sleep for almost two weeks, even with Suzaku trying his best to help her. She didn’t even know how long he would be able to keep it up.

“Suzaku? Suzaku are you still there?”

“Paging Suzaku, paging Nurse Suzaku. Your patient is on the line.”

Nunnally ignored Lucifer, rolling over to her side and looking at the corner that Suzaku had last tucked herself in. “Please answer me Suzaku.”

There was nothing but silence, Nunnally shivering. He could have left and she would never know. He was the only company she had since Lelouch had gone off.

“Oh, that hurts. After all the time we spent together, the apocalypse, the psychiatric ward, I thought what we had was special.” She looked over in time to catch Lucifer pouting, his chin cupped in his hand. Apparently, the glance was just enough because Lucifer perked up. “Do you love me again? Because I’m the only one here right now. My little brother has gone off on his own. He doesn’t want to stick around here any more. It’s just us now, just like in the Cage.”

Nunnally shivered, wanting to slide out of bed and stumble over to the corner, but she was too exhausted for that to happen. She closed her eyes, rolling over onto her side so her back was to Lucifer. With all of this, it was almost enough to encourage her to ask Suzaku to just stop helping her. They were both at the end of their ropes and Nunnally was just too tired to keep going.

“Nunnally? Don’t ignore me again. We were getting to be so close before Suzaku got between us. I think he’s just jealous. That’s why I sent him away again.”

She curled up more tightly, trying not to listen to him. Lucifer was just a hallucination, she had to just telling herself that no matter how much he annoyed her. He was just a hallucination, one that couldn’t be shaken from her mind. It was the only thing that was keeping her going at the moment. Lucifer didn’t have the power to send Suzaku away.

“If that’s the case, then why is he gone?” She felt the bed dip slightly as Lucifer came to sit beside her. “Suzaku wouldn’t leave you, but he’s not here. Which means that I have to have sent him away. It’s not that hard, Nunnally.”

“Go away.”

“I can’t. You brought me here, wherever here is.”

Nunnally reached for the scar on her hand out of habit, although it had long stopped working. “I’m back, I’m _safe_.”

“Of course you are.” She flinched as Lucifer patted her head. “Of course you are.”

—-

C.C. was waiting for them as Lelouch pulled up at the hospital. He narrowed his eyes as he stepped out of the car. The demon was supposed to be looking for a way to stop the Leviathans for good, none of the usual storing the heads in another place nonsense. Of course, Lelouch had no way of knowing if C.C. was actually helping the Leviathans as well. He wouldn’t put it past her.

He slammed the door shut and stormed over to her. “What are you doing here?”

“I got word of something interesting through the troops.” Her gaze moved to something over his shoulder. “An angel slumming it down with you humans.”

Lelouch turned around, staring at Michelle as she got out of the car.

The woman took one look at C.C. and jumped backward. “You’re…It’s a demon.”

C.C. just bowed, Lelouch the one to step between the two of them. “Yes. But she’s on our side.”

“Our side?”

“There are things going on that you don’t understand.” Lelouch snapped, glaring at Michelle as she gaped at him. “The world’s not just as simple as you think it is. Sometimes you need to get your hands dirty to save the world. I don’t care if they are mine or who I deal with as long as I get results. Now,” he turned to look at C.C, “what are you going to do?”

C.C. shrugged. “Obviously you need her for something, and that something is probably Nunnally since I haven’t seen her. Go right on ahead with that.”

“And after?”

“Then she can leave. I don’t trust _this_ angel.” Lelouch nodded, walking around the car to take Michelle’s elbow. He stopped when he heard C.C. clear her throat. He turned to face her, frowning when the demon rocked back onto her heels. “But I won’t call off the demons I have guarding the door.”

“Why not?”

“Why have one angel working for you when you can have two? I distinctly remember that Suzaku was looking a bit worse for the weather the last time we met.”

Lelouch shook his head. “No.”

“Oh, so you only trust her because she’s not Euphemia. And you intend to send her away after this. You know Suzaku will find her.”

“He won’t.”

“You underestimate your angel.”

“He’s not my-”

“What is going on here?”

They both turned to look at Michelle, Lelouch missing the smile that C.C. had on her face. He caught the edge of it as the demon walked past him, escorting Michelle to the edge of the parking lot so they could look down at the group of demons. “We’re just talking about you. You see, we have a bit of a problem. See those people down there?”

“They’re just like you.”

“Right. And we need to get them out of the way. Lelouch can’t do it on my own and I’m in no position to kill my own people, so that leaves you.”

Michelle took a step back, shaking her head. “I can’t.”

“Yes you can. You’re an angel.”

“That’s ridiculous.” She turned to look at Lelouch. “Tell her. I’m just gifted, I’m not an angel.”

For a moment, Lelouch was tempted to tell her everything, but he kept silent on that account. He stepped forward until he was standing by them. “Nunnally is running out of time.”

C.C. picked up on what he was getting at, gesturing down at the four demons below them. “So go and smite them.”

Michelle swallowed nervously. “How?”

C.C. laughed and patted Michelle’s shoulder. “It’ll come back to you.”

She gave Michelle a light shove down the hill. Lelouch glanced at the demon, not wanting to watch Michelle stumble into the obvious trap. If it looked like she was in trouble, he would go down and help her, although that wouldn’t help them at all. Then C.C. would have to interfere, which would complicate everything.

He jumped as C.C. cleared her throat. “So, what now?”

“Now that you ruined everything?” C.C. just shrugged, pushing her hair back over her shoulder. Lelouch sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know. If she remembers she might not stay.”

“And then I continue to hunt her down and drag her back here. You’re not getting out of this without her. I know you want her far away from Nunnally, but I want this angel where I can see her. I don’t want her to make another deal to try and save you, especially since I didn’t even get a soul out of this. See where we stand?”

“Yes.” Of course she would mess with his carefully laid plans. C.C. was only in this to clean up the mess that Euphemia had made of the world, mostly because the Leviathans wouldn’t share. They were nothing more than tools for her.

He looked back at the demons at the first flash of white light. Lelouch took a step back, hearing C.C. laugh as the first demon crumpled. A second rushed at Euphemia, the angel turning and pressing her hand to his head. The third went in the same way. The fourth tried to run, but Euphemia chased after, disappearing and reappearing in time to smite the last one. Only then did she look up at them.

Lelouch took a step back, not surprised that Euphemia appeared in the place where he had last been standing. She reached out for him, only to pull her arms back, shaking her head. “Why?”

“Because you did this to her. I can’t trust you anymore, Euphy.”

“Then how do you think I feel?” Euphemia glared at him. “I’m the one to has to realize that I did all of this and I couldn’t ever make up for it. All the people I healed when I couldn’t remember anything don’t even start to make up for what I did. And then I come back and the people that I risked it all for don’t even want anything to do with me.”

“Maybe it would have been better if you hadn’t come back.”

He didn’t regret voicing that thought, even as Euphemia shrunk back. It would have been far easier if Euphemia had never come back. Then he would have been able to forgive her, Lelouch had never been able to hold his anger long against people who had died for them. He would have remembered that eventually and it would have preyed on his conscious. Instead, she was back and he would have to guard Nunnally against her, and he would have to forgive her because of Nunnally. He wasn’t ready for any of that.

Euphemia drew herself up, suddenly looking much more like an angel as she stared him down. She looked exactly like she had when she had appeared beside Suzaku a year ago when they had gone after the Staff of Moses, strong and capable. “Then Nunnally would be dead.”

She turned to walk away, Lelouch reaching out and grabbing her. When he tugged she didn’t turn, Lelouch having to circle around her and press both hands against her shoulders. “Don’t you dare.”

“What matters to you more, Lelouch, your sister’s life or your hatred of me?”

Lelouch hesitated for a moment before stepping out of her way. Euphemia gave him a gracious nod and walked past him. Lelouch stared at her for a moment before trailing after her into the hospital.

—-

They had strapped Nunnally down. Suzaku had stood and watched the entire time. He hadn’t been able to do anything to help, hadn’t been able to for about a day now. Lucifer had too tight a hold. Every time he had tried to push Lucifer from Nunnally’s mind, his brother had just pushed back, shoving images of torture right back at him. And, like the coward he was, Suzaku had retreated. He hadn’t even appeared when Nunnally had been calling for him. Just talking to her might have been enough to get her to last a bit longer, but he had been too afraid.

Suzaku looked down at his hands, studying them and suddenly wishing that he had left scars on his vessel. When he had first taken the young man as a vessel, he had cleaned up everything that he could and had taken care of all injuries afterward out of habit. With scars he could at least remember every time he had done something wrong, visual evidence of his failures. Even then it wouldn’t be enough, because then he’d have to do something to remember his two greatest thus far, not saving Euphemia and Nunnally.

He curled up in his corner. He should have known, should have done something before Euphemia had made a deal with C.C. He should have been able to hide how desperate he was, both to win the war and remain on earth with Lelouch and Nunnally. Euphemia shouldn’t have had to fall that far just to win their war. If anyone should have died, it should have been him. If he had stopped it, he would have been able to save Nunnally from all of this.

He looked up, focusing on the sound of her breathing. Lelouch was running out of time, Nunnally had gone without sleep or food for too long. Suzaku swallowed and stood up, walking over to her. While he couldn’t free her from her hallucinations, he could try to hold them off, to give Lelouch more time.

Suzaku hesitated with his hand hovering over Nunnally’s forehead. He could buy them more time, but Suzaku wasn’t sure if it was enough. He didn’t want to risk calling Lelouch and letting Nunnally slip away. The time for stalling was over. If the hallucinations couldn’t be moved, then they could probably be transferred.

He rested his hand on Nunnally’s forehead, surprised when she reached up to try and pull it away. She probably thought that he was Lucifer, which meant that he had left it for far too long. Suzaku leaned over, moving his thumb so he could kiss Nunnally’s forehead. “I’m so sorry, but I’m going to fix it.”

“No. Suzaku? Suzaku help!”

“I am. Don’t worry.” He braced himself before pushing at the hallucination, goading it until he could circle around it. Then, he pushed it towards himself, jerking as it burned through his veins. Suzaku slammed his eyes shut, shivering as it transferred over.

When the last of the sensation receded, Suzaku opened his eyes. He glanced down at Nunnally, hoping to see that she was looking better. Instead, he saw Lucifer.

Suzaku stumbled backward until he hit the wall, staring at Lucifer as he got up from the bed. His brother clasped his arms behind his back and strolled over. “It’s been a long time, little bro. And, I have to say, you might be just a little bit more interesting than Nunnally.”

Suzaku flinched as Lucifer reached out to tap his forehead, his eyes widening in fear as Lucifer leaned over to whisper into his ear. “We’re going to have so much fun.”

—-

Lelouch walked quickly down the hallway, nearly breaking out into a jog when he saw Euphemia stop by a door. He purposefully didn’t count off the doors to where Euphemia was standing. He didn’t want to know so soon. Lelouch glanced at his watch, biting his lip. He still had time, time enough for Euphemia to heal Nunnally without having to rush. He didn’t want to think about how Suzaku had said that it was an estimate. This was the one chance he had to save his sister after all the other times he had messed up.

He sped up a fraction, keeping one eye on the number on the doors. He counted down how many he had to pass until he got to Nunnally’s room. Lelouch couldn’t keep himself from closing his eyes briefly as he went to stand by the door frame. He braced himself there for a moment before looking over at Euphemia. He didn’t want to see Nunnally, not until he was sure that something could be done. He wanted his last memory of her to be as she was, not sick and exhausted.

Lelouch cleared his throat. “Can you do anything for her?”

“No.”

“But I thought you said…” Lelouch trailed off as Euphemia gently turned his head so he was looking into the room.

The bed was empty that was the first thing that he noticed. Lelouch stumbled a few steps into the room, his throat dry. She could have died while he was out and had already been taken to the morgue. He reached for his cell phone, about to check for calls when he heard a soft whimper from the other wall of the room.

He spun around, letting out a relieved sigh when he saw Nunnally there. Lelouch came around the bed, freezing when he saw what Nunnally was kneeling next to.

Suzaku was crouched against the wall, shaking in Nunnally’s arms. The angel looked like he wanted to run, jerking forward in Nunnally’s arm before rocking back, pressing his back against the wall. Suzaku looked at Lelouch with wide eyes.

Nunnally let go of him with one arm to motion for Lelouch to crouch down. After a moment of hesitation Lelouch followed the order, sitting on the floor across from them. That seemed to calm Suzaku down, his gaze darting over to the door before fixing on something at the table in the door.

Lelouch swallowed and shook his head. “What happened?”

“He helped me.” Nunnally reached up to wipe a tear from her eye. “He did something…and then he just curled up here. He keeps talking about Lucifer.”

“Transfer.” Lelouch turned to look at Euphemia, watching the angel slump against the door. “He took the hallucinations from her.”

Lelouch couldn’t bring himself to look back at Suzaku. “Then what do we do?”

Euphemia could only shrug, the angel stepping back when Nunnally stood up and walked over to her. For a moment, it looked like Nunnally was going to hug her, but then Nunnally pulled back. “Help him, please.”

Euphemia shook her head. “I can’t.”

Nunnally whimpered, pressing her head against Euphemia’s shoulder, the angel pulling her into a hug. Lelouch leaned back against the bed, pressing a hand over his face. He had hoped that he would be able to get what he had wanted, his sister back and a chance to work on forgiveness with Euphemia. He had gotten his sister back, but now he had a broken angel. Lelouch pressed his forehead against his knees, listening to Nunnally’s muffled sobs and the soft sound of Suzaku muttering.


	29. Chapter 29

Kaguya played with the neck of her bottle, watching as Lelouch knocked back another. She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. Getting information out of Lelouch was difficult, especially when he was in this mood. Kaguya had been around Lelouch long enough to know his moods. She would never be as good as Nunnally at reading Lelouch, but she was good enough to get by. She never would have been able to keep up with the Lamperouges any other way. Still, it was her duty to look after the two, especially since Schneizel and Kanon had disappeared off the radar.

She didn’t know the full story; she had just heard the news along the grapevine. Schneizel had been shot, fatally wounded. That’s the only thing that the stories had agreed on. Some hunters said that Schneizel was dead but others said that he was still alive and laying low. Kaguya had never bothered to dig too deeply beyond that. She was sure that she would have heard if Schneizel had gone died and she would never find Schneizel if the man had truly gone into hiding. Her best option for the truth would be Lelouch and Nunnally.

But Schneizel was not the one that she wanted to talk about. She had learned her trade from Schneizel and Kanon, and she was one of the best sources of information after the two of them. Kaguya had essentially taken over since Schneizel had disappeared and she was handling the workload fine. And, when Schneizel decided to come back, she would continue doing her work. She enjoyed it well enough that she had never considered going back.

It was Suzaku that she wanted information on. The angel wasn’t related to her, but it was still her cousin’s body. Takahiro had given up everything to keep her safe. Watching over the hunters was her way of paying back Takahiro.

Usually the angel would have been with Lelouch and Nunnally, but he was nowhere to be found. That was the only thing that would encourage her to ask.

“So, is Suzaku off on some business of Heaven’s?”

Lelouch’s grip on his glass tightened, Kaguya getting a glimpse of distress on his face before Lelouch turned away. She stared at him for a moment, surprised by his reaction. She had thought his antagonistic relationship with the angel had ended a long time ago.

Kaguya turned to look at Nunnally, surprised to see that she was also not looking at her. Frustrated, Kaguya left her beer on the counter and walked over to take the empty chair opposite Nunnally. The hunt could wait for the few moments that this took. It was her last connection to her cousin. “Where is he?”

“He’s…”

“He’s gone.” Kaguya looked back over at Lelouch, surprised at the pained laugh that he made. “That’s your answer. Not Heaven’s business, not another hunt. Gone.”

Before she could push for him to expand the story Lelouch stormed out of the room. Kaguya let him go, he would be back soon enough, they had a hunt to finish. Lelouch would come back for that alone, because it was another way to deal with the pain. Taking out a creature would help with whatever rage he still had.

She looked back at Nunnally when she heard Nunnally’s typing stop. Kaguya hoped for an answer to what they were hunting, but she only got a miserable look. Nunnally rubbed her hands together before resting them on the table. “Kaguya…I…”

“Just tell me if he is still alive.”

Nunnally stared at her for a moment before nodding. That was all that Kaguya needed to know. Suzaku was still alive, which meant that Takahiro was still alive.

“I’m sorry, Kaguya. If we could have done something, we wouldn’t have let him do this. I didn’t…I didn’t mean for him to trade his life for mine.”

Kaguya reached over to grab onto Nunnally’s arm, trying her best to ignore what Nunnally was actually saying. She didn’t want to know what stupid thing Suzaku had done with her cousin, if Takahiro was still in there. Kaguya gave Nunnally’s arm a little shake, giving Nunnally her best smile. “Listen, it’s his own choice. That’s what you guys all did, right? Gave everyone one the chance to make their own choices? Why keep Suzaku from his?”

“Because it isn’t fair.”

Kaguya took a deep breath. Nothing about life was fair. If life was fair, she would still have her mother and her cousin. But she wouldn’t be able to give up the life that she had fallen into, because she was doing something with her life. But she couldn’t say any of that to Nunnally. It was something that neither Nunnally nor Lelouch would think of, someone choosing to hunt over having a normal life. “Let’s just get this settled.”

Nunnally nodded, turning her attention back to the computer, pulling up a website. Kaguya leaned over Nunnally’s shoulder to look, smiling when she saw the creature on the page. “A Shojo?”

“Everything seems to match up.”

Kaguya nodded to herself, trying to think back on the old stories that her mother had told her. She had never been old enough for the really rauchy ones, she had just gotten the cutsey ones, and she had never complained. Now she wished that she had pushed for more. It would have made her job so much easier. Kaguya had quite the memory for stories, probably because they had been her main mode of entertainment when she was younger. She nudged Nunnally with her shoulder, smiling as Nunnally continued to read.

“It’s an alcohol spirit, apparently out for revenge. Which explains the killings and why only drunk people can see her.” Nunnally broke off into mutters, Kaguya letting Nunnally work through the puzzle on her own.

She turned to walk back to the bar, staring at the bottle of beer there. At least the hunt would give them all a chance to forget about what had happened. Kaguya was sure that Lelouch would take that chance, especially with the way that he had been eying the alcohol in the fridge. That was another think that Kaguya had to ask Nunnally about, when Lelouch had become an alcoholic. There were many things that could be saved for after the hunt. Right now, they had a hunter to concentrate on.

Kaguya settled back into her place, picking up the bottle again. Subtly, she lifted her bottle in salute to Suzaku and Takahiro, wherever the two of them were. It was all she could do for them.


	30. Chapter 30

Lelouch pretended to be asleep whenever it happened, although he was sure that Suzaku knew the difference. But it was one thing to be awake and another to give Suzaku the privacy of his own actions, especially when the angel seemed to have such a tentative grip on reality at the moment.

It wasn’t fair to Suzaku, the angel who had stayed by their side when the Leviathan that had driven Euphemia into the lake, the angel that had proved to be the most loyal to them, to be suffering like he was. It was worse that Lelouch would look at Suzaku and think, just for a moment, that he was glad that it wasn’t Nunnally because that wasn’t fair as well. Suzaku had given up everything to keep Nunnally alive, his own sanity and his place with them. 

Sometimes Lelouch was afraid that they had traded one angel for another, his discovery of Euphemia meaning that they had to give up Suzaku. He wouldn’t be surprised if the world worked like that on a basic level, he and Nunnally had never managed to catch a good break.

Even now, half crazy and confused, Suzaku was still the one that had stayed with them. Euphemia had disappeared as soon as she could, circling the world searching for something. Lelouch hadn’t paid much attention to what she had said she was going to do after Suzaku had given them a vial of his own blood to help them make the weapon that would kill the Leviathan. Initially, Suzaku had gone, but he had appeared not three days later, standing between Lelouch and Nunnally and the door when C.C. had come in, although Suzaku had quickly relaxed. Half mad and confused, Suzaku was still protecting him.

That was what he was doing now, circling the house to check the wards, but Lelouch wasn’t sure how much help Suzaku could be in that department. He just knew that Suzaku had been overprotective since Euphemia had come back to help them kill the Leviathans. Suzaku was always putting himself between them and Euphemia, or in some position to defend them. Lelouch could see how much it was hurting Euphemia, but he couldn’t bring himself to care just yet. He had not completely forgiven her for what she had done. And he hadn’t completely forgiven himself for being faster to bring her to Nunnally. Lelouch was sure that Euphemia was aware of the fact, which made him even angrier because she had initially refused to help them. Suzaku had volunteered from the start.

The bed dipped under the weight of someone, Lelouch barely stopping himself from startling. Out of habit, he slipped his hand under his pillow for his knife. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching for his defense, not even when he knew who it was. The way that the person was sliding into the bed meant that it wasn’t anyone but Suzaku.

Lelouch let himself be nudged over further over in the bed, away from the center and towards the edge closest to where Nunnally was sleeping on the cot. He even gave a sleepy mumble and let go of his knife. Lelouch thought he heard Suzaku sigh in relief before the angel settled himself down, twining himself around Lelouch.

It took a moment for Suzaku to settle, his chest pressed against Lelouch’s back and his arms wrapped around Lelouch. But Suzaku didn’t tangle himself around Lelouch, it wasn’t cuddling for comfort, although Lelouch couldn’t be too sure about that; Suzaku always seemed happier in the morning after extended contact with him. Suzaku’s careful positioning gave him away. He always purposefully gave Lelouch an avenue to get to Nunnally and the rest of their weapons, placing himself with his back towards the door toward that led to the main portion of the cabin where C.C. and Euphemia were. Suzaku was putting himself in the line of fire, his own body the first line of defense for Lelouch and Nunnally. If anything entered the room with the intent to hurt them, Lelouch was sure that Suzaku would be able to move fast enough to kill the intruder or he would flip his own body over Lelouch to keep him safe.

Even after everything, Suzaku was still trying to protect them.

Lelouch flinched, unable to help himself. What he wanted to do was to crawl away from Suzaku and send the angel away, somewhere far away while they handled the Leviathan but he knew it wouldn’t work. It would be able as effective as trying to send Nunnally away. He reached up for one of Suzaku’s hands, gripping tightly as he tried to calm himself.

Suzaku squeezed back, pressing himself closer for a moment. “You’re safe, Lelouch. You’re not in Hell and Nunnally is here.”

Lelouch wanted to shake his head. It wasn’t himself or Nunnally that he was worried the most about at the moment, it was Suzaku. Lelouch had the sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen and Suzaku was the vulnerable one out of all of them. He had only just gotten the angel back, just gotten the one stable part of his family that was not going to shatter off. He didn’t want to lose him again.

He must have been moving too much, his shifting as he tried to get himself back to some semblance of sleep enough to encourage Suzaku to take action. Lelouch briefly felt fingers drift over his forehead before he was engulfed in warmth and a feeling of complete safety, both of them finally carrying him off to sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

Nunnally paused as she heard the door open, smiling at the jingle of Riot’s collar. Matt was back from his job and it sounded like Riot had gotten his last stitches out. She pulled the stack of books out, setting it along side the others. She nudged the box to the side, staring at the last pile of boxes that she had left to unpack. It was far better than the state of their small house two days before. Nunnally had felt like she was running one of the obstacle courses that her father had tested them on during the summer.

At the sound of footsteps, she reached back to pat one of the stacks of books that surrounded her. “You have far too many books.”

Matt laughed, but didn’t move away from the doorway to help her. Nunnally turned to glare at him, listening to Riot attempt to reach her through the piles in the living room. The dog whined, padding back over to Matt and probably pawing at his foot by the way that Matt reacted. He reached down to push the dog away, smiling at Nunnally as he straightened up. “My job requires me to have far too many books.”

“Get another one.” She tossed a book at him, which he caught. “Or get another bookshelf. The one here is already filling up.

He glanced over at the bookshelf, wincing before nodding. “Right, that’ll go on the list. But don’t worry about doing all of this yourself, my sister should be here Tuesday to help finish this all up.”

Nunnally nodding, trying to hide the way she flinched. The only people that had touched her stuff for a long time had been her and her brother. It was hard to imagine a stranger coming in and helping her out. There were so many things that Nunnally couldn’t even begin to explain to anyone. Charles’ journal and all of the drawings inside would never be taken for anything more than the ravings of a madman. The few charms and protections she had kept out of habit might be written off as superstitious, the one ‘safe’ thing that she had kept with her. But hunting had been a significant part of her life and, while Nunnally was willing to put it aside, it was something that she didn’t want to deny outright.

She jumped as she felt hands on her shoulder, Nunnally turning to smile up at Matt. It was further proof that she was settling down that her first instinct wasn’t to rip the person away from her while she sought out weaknesses. Instead, she just rested a hand over Matt’s.

“Listen, Sharon isn’t going to quiz you on your life, she’s smarter than that. She understands that you’ve been through a lot of shit and she understands, at least on that level.”

“Thanks.” Nunnally shook her head and took a deep breath. “It’s just been…a long while since I’ve done a meet the family thing.”

“You’re lucky. My mother and father would have ripped you to shreds.”

Nunnally chuckled, playfully poking him in the side when he tried to place the book back on the stack. “Put that where it belongs.”

Matt sighed overdramatically, walking over to the already full bookshelf and managing to shove the book into a space. He disappeared into the kitchen, probably to cook dinner while Nunnally finished up. She smiled, turning her head as Riot trotted past, the dog off to beg for scraps. Riot was less likely to get them from Matt than from Nunnally, but she had always known that she was a pushover.

Instead of continuing to dig through the books, Nunnally leaned back on her hands, staring around the room.

It was a house, a real house like she hadn’t had since she was six months old. This was the one thing that Lelouch had wanted above all things once, and Nunnally was equally as curious, especially after her brief brush with the chance for a normal life with Justin. This was different though. Her first attempt had been ruined by her past, but this attempt was brought on by hunting. There was no point to it anymore, not when everyone was dead. She supposed that Schneizel and Kanon didn’t count, but they hadn’t tried to contact Lelouch and Nunnally since Dick Roman had tried to kill Schneizel. Nunnally guessed that she had him and Kanon to thank for the continued decrease in Leviathans, especially since she hadn’t been able to face the world after Lelouch had disappeared. Euphemia had told her everything she needed to know, Lelouch wasn’t on earth, in Heaven or in Hell, so there was nothing to do but drive.

Nunnally didn’t even know where Euphemia was at the moment, and the thought didn’t disturb her as much as it once would have. Her full attention was on the life that she was starting with Matt. Two people struggling to get over the loss of loved ones and their own issues, clinging to each other in the midst of the storm. Nunnally was sure that it wasn’t the healthiest start to relationship, but they needed each other and had found each other. On that chance alone, she was willing to let it play out to see if there was something here for her.

There was nothing wrong in her mind about three lost souls clinging to each other. It had worked once before. Three lost souls had saved the world.

Nunnally flinched at the thought, quickly trying to forget about her brother. It was far easier to let the hurt linger in the background than constantly dwell on it. Lelouch and Suzaku had died saving the world again, and Lelouch would want her to be happy. And she would start by helping Matt out in the kitchen.


	32. Chapter 32

Kanon turned around, listening as the body fell to the ground. The head was a separate thud, Kanon taking a step back to nudge the head a bit further from the body. He glanced around, looking for any more Leviathans heading towards him or a signal from Schneizel that they would have to run. There was nothing that he could see, but that was with buildings blocking his view. Kanon shook his machete, trying to get as much of the black ooze off as he could. They had yet to figure out if the ooze made their weapons rust, but it was better to just keep their weapons clean. They were getting used almost every day.

Sure that he was safe, Kanon bent down to pick up the head. Neither the head nor the body had started to animate again, which meant that they had the time to dispose of this body, and the ones that were still in the warehouse. Security wasn’t an issue, all the staff in the warehouse had been Leviathans. The problem would come when they blew up the warehouse, another in a long chain of storage facilities that Dick Roman had used. From the initial map that Kanon and Schneizel had figured out, they were almost done with the last of the facilities that were staging points for the Leviathan’s plan.

He made a face at the ooze still dripping from the head, walking back into the building. He had chased after the one runner, leaving Schneizel to deal with the last few in the warehouse. Even after recovering for six months, Kanon was wary about leaving Schneizel alone. Dick was dead, but that didn’t mean that any of the other Leviathans wouldn’t panic and shoot him again. They were all desperate now that their leader was dead, broken into factions. There were still a few trying to finish up Dick’s master plan, but most of them were just on a rampage, lost and confused. Kanon had made a point of going after those that were still trying to kill the human race, the second group wasn’t too hard to find.

What confused him the most was the silence from the Lamperouges.

Neither Schneizel nor Kanon had made an effort to contact Lelouch and Nunnally after Schneizel had been healed, not even when Schneizel had recovered completely. That had been Kanon’s fault mostly, because he had been afraid that they would haul Schneizel back into going after Dick Roman and Kanon was not ready to lose Schneizel.

With Dick dead through mysterious circumstances, Kanon had thought that the Lamperouges would try and find them, but the pattern hadn’t been followed. There was still time for contact, although Kanon was still reluctant to do so. He and Schneizel had a job to finish. He didn’t want to get caught up in whatever trouble Lelouch and Nunnally had gotten themselves into this time. Besides, it wasn’t a crime to want to enjoy his time with Schneizel, especially now that Schneizel had recovered.

Kanon opened the door to the warehouse with his shoulder, holding up the head as Schneizel turned to look at him. “Last one.”

Schneizel made a vague motion to his left towards the boxes, a few of them already rattling as the heads tried to rejoin the bodies. Kanon sighed and dropped the head into one of the few empty ones. “We need to find a better way to do this.”

“It’s on the list.” Schneizel didn’t look up from the quick tally he was doing of the bodies.

Kanon sighed and leaned back against the shelf, carefully rolling his shoulder. He had taken a hit earlier, nothing bad but certainly enough to bruise. It would be a pain when they hauled the bodies to be burned. So far, it was the only way of disposing the bodies that they knew of, although it didn’t seem to stop the heads from rattling around in their boxes. Kanon would want to burn them too, but he didn’t know if it would actually help and it was far better to play it safe than risk another Leviathan infestation.

Schneizel took a step back, nodding to himself. “Done here. Just need to finish up the clean up.”

“I’ll haul, you set the charges.” To Kanon’s relief, Schneizel didn’t argue.

Kanon leaned down and started to drag the bodies outside. Hopefully, the blast from the warehouse would be enough to hide the pyre, although the cops weren’t likely to look too hard. All that they knew was that something fishy had happened in Roman Enterprises, courtesy of a false trail that Kanon had laid out as soon as he could. With some luck, the government would help them take down by removing funding and investigating, although it was more likely that the law enforcement would die instead of actually managing to kill any of the Leviathans. Thus far, he and Schneizel had managed to stay ahead of all of them, meaning that there was very little loss of life and very little attention on them.

He paused in the midst of dragging, sparing a moment to watch as Schneizel walked around the warehouse. It was a habit from when Schneizel was recovering, that Kanon had to see that he was still alive. Kanon still remembered the nightmares that he had woken up from, sure that Schneizel was dead. He just needed a reminder that Schneizel was still alive and would remain that way to continue through his day.

Reassured for a while, Kanon opened the door with his hip and dragged the headless body outside to join the other in the parking lot.


	33. Chapter 33

C.C. didn’t remember much from the days before she had become a demon and it didn’t matter in the end. There was no reason to separate her life into what had happened before and after, because the before was something that she couldn’t change. And it wasn’t like she wanted to go back and change her life, because it could have always been worse.

The act of becoming a demon, all the months of torture on the rack before she had agreed to step away, had blurred most of the events of her life down to simple facts.

She had been born near the fall of the Roman Empire, when the empire had still been limping along. The time period was still a bit fuzzy for her. In any case, she knew that she had never had parents, not ones that had been living. She had been a beggar, and not a good one. If she had managed to make a living or had escaped from her bad life, then there was no reason she should have made a deal with a demon. Then again, if she remembered right, she hadn’t meant to in the first place, but her intent hardly mattered in the end.

The deal was one of the clear things she remembered and C.C. always wondered if Luciano had made sure that she would remember why she had become the thing she was now and how she had ended up on his table.

She had stumbled into a temple and up to one of the priestesses in the hopes of getting some kind of help, not that she had expected much. She had just been a lowly beggar girl, no older than ten. To her surprise, the woman had smiled at her and brought her food. And then they had talked. The woman had encouraged her to talk about her life and what she wanted and C.C. had told the priestess everything. How she had wanted good food. How she wanted to be able to see the sights that some of the greatest cities offered. How she had wanted to see Constantinople and the eastern part of the empire and all the glories out there, because everyone said it was better out there. How, secretly, she didn’t want any of that. She just wanted to be loved.

Then the priestess had jerked and stared at the sky. C.C. remembered running over to help the priestess and being afraid when she had seen that the priestess’ eyes were completely black. But then the priestess had looked at her and smiled. The woman had promised her all the happiness that C.C. could handle if she just agreed to a deal, that the gods had showed her a way that this could be done. Being ten, desperate and presented with everything that she had wanted, C.C. had agreed.

The priestess hadn’t lied to her about her wishes coming true; it had been the thought that had gotten her through the first few months of her torment in Hell. C.C. had lived the best ten years of her life being adored by anyone she passed. It was enough to turn any woman’s head and C.C. had been no different. She had allowed them to create statues in her honor, allowed them to make songs about her beauty and grace. She had even been married twice, once to a nice man who had died in one of the wars against the barbarians and one she ran away from. It had been everything that she had wanted, everything that her dreams had been made of. The best part was that she had not gotten bored of the attention until the end. She had run away from her last husband then, intending to travel as far as she could with his money.

She hadn’t heard the hounds until she was on the road.

At first she had thought that they were just the sound of wolves, until she had walked into a town and no one else had heard them. Then she had seen the priestess, the same one she had thought had died nine years ago. When the priestess had disappeared, C.C. had thought that her benefactor had died. She almost wished that the woman had disappeared completely, because it was only then that the woman told C.C. how her deal would end. C.C. had a week until the hounds came for her soul, and there would be no place to run.

C.C. had been frightened, but after two days in a nearby city, she had been reminded how much she hated being loved without measure. So she had spent her last days in debauchery and doing whatever she could. C.C. didn’t remember the specifics of what she did, she just remembered catching the first glimpses of the hellhounds and almost welcoming them. What she didn’t like was the way that they had ripped her apart – still screaming – for her soul before she had been dragged down to Hell.

Her torture wasn’t too different from the other demons’, and she settled into the right places. C.C. had always known to stay with the ones in power, that instinct couldn’t be torn from her by Luciano. So she had sucked up to Luciano, aware that no one would ever love her in the way that they had again, and he had appreciated it. His perfect little apprentice he had called her, at least until Luciano had gotten the great honor to break the Righteous Man. It hadn’t mattered to C.C, she had already been tailing after Azazel, helping him free their father from his cage. There she had stayed until the Lamperouges had messed up the plan, killed all of her protectors and sent Lucifer back into the cage. Then V.V. had been in power and C.C. had been on the outs, something that she had worked to change.

She had clawed her way to the top of the pile, using everyone that she could, even an angel. All of it had been for herself, and all of it had been to keep Hell for herself. C.C was all too aware of how she was perceived by some of the demons, that she was still the pet of the old regime. Usually she would have ignored them, but they were all the powerful ones, the ones that were really a threat to her. Until the last of them were dead, through their own stupidity, angels or the Lamperouges, C.C. was going to hang onto her place at the top. It was the only place that she would be safe.

It was the same reason that she had offered an open deal to Lelouch, just wanting to have the claim of his soul hanging over his head. She really had nothing she wanted him to do, she just needed him on her side if she wanted to make sure that no hunter hurt her. C.C. had no leverage on the angels, but her connections to Suzaku and Euphemia had to mean something. Then again, no angel had really bothered her since the end of the Apocalypse, so C.C. counted herself in good hands.

Now if only the same thing could be said about the demons on her side. All of them were loyal, but far too committed to the cause, a cause that was as flimsy as a wet sheet of paper. C.C. shook her head and leaned back in her chair, watching the ceiling fan circle above her. Mao would chase the Lamperouges to the end, all to keep them from shutting the gates of Hell, something that C.C. could prevent simply by promising to drag Lelouch back into Hell with her if they did so. It was still a problem, a problem that had made her lose track of one angel. She frowned, looking down and tipping the stool her feet were resting on over.

She had learned from all of her years in Hell that it paid to be patient. There were strings that had to be picked and carefully. All it would take was the right string and things would fall into place. The wrong string would send things tumbling down. Lucifer had learned that much.

C.C. chuckled and raised her glass in a silent toast to her last boss. May he be trapped in the cage for the rest of his eternal life. She was enjoying her life on top, even if she was playing dead for the moment. It was only a matter of time before she could return to her throne and she had many ideas for Hell. C.C. smiled and took a sip of her iced tea, staring out the window into the yard of the cabin. So many ideas.


	34. Chapter 34

For the first time since he had entered Purgatory, the first time he had looked at Akito and demanded to know whether the varcolac was in or out, Lelouch wished he was alone. It was one thing to have Akito hovering around acting as his partner-in-crime/bodyguard when dealing with the creatures that were roaming freely around Purgatory. Lelouch would gladly take the help in dealing with all of the nasty things that were trying to kill him.

It was another thing entirely when he was going in search of the angel that had gotten sent down with him.

The last time Lelouch had seen Suzaku, the angel had still not completely recovered from taking on Nunnally’s hallucinations from the Cage. But he had gamely followed Lelouch into battle anyway, because it was what Suzaku had always done. Down to his core, Suzaku was a soldier and nothing Lelouch had done or falling from grace, had changed that about Suzaku.

Before, Lelouch wouldn’t have worried about leading a dangerous creature towards the angel, but that had been when Suzaku had been perfectly capable of handling himself. Now, Lelouch wasn’t sure what Suzaku would even do. Their last few days together on earth had consisted of Suzaku following them around and hovering menacingly from behind Lelouch’s shoulder whenever C.C. had come into the room to brief them on the latest plan. At night Suzaku had crawled into bed with Lelouch, despite the fact that he didn’t need to sleep, because it was the bed farthest away from Euphemia. Lelouch was still haunted by the fact that he had never told Suzaku when he was awake to hear Suzaku’s many apologies. That broken Suzaku would not be able to handle the wolf demon that Lelouch was leading his way.

Unfortunately, Akito was a fast runner, although he was staying back just to preserve Lelouch’s tentative hold on leadership, so there was no way that Lelouch was going to lose him. Failing that, there was always the weapon that he clutched in his hand, the rudimentary knife made of bone and obsidian. It would be monumentally stupid to kill his only way out of Purgatory, but Lelouch was sure that Akito would respond to a threat.

—-

They found the angel just where the werewolf had said that he would be, crouched by a stream. Lelouch slowed down, tightening his grip on his weapon as he carefully made his way to the shore. He wanted to be sure which Suzaku he was dealing with, because he would have to plan accordingly. He watched as Suzaku stood up slowly, not noticing the way that he sighed.

It was _his_ Suzaku, not the broken angel that he had gotten in return for finding Euphemia. That was the familiar soldier’s stance, a deceptive looseness that would snap to attention as soon as something startled him. Nothing like the timid way that Suzaku had held himself before, eyes always on the ground and always looking to back up against a wall. This was the Suzaku who could take down five angels easily.

Lelouch forgot about the varcolac following him, instead breaking into a run across the rocky shore. “Suzaku!”

The angel turned at the shout, Lelouch watching Suzaku’s hand twitch in the familiar gesture to call for his sword before the angel recognized him. Then Suzaku smiled, taking the two steps needed to meet him before pulling him close. Lelouch grunted in surprise, his arms hanging lose by his side before he brought them up and tentatively wrapped them around Suzaku’s shoulders. He felt Suzaku sigh in response and move closer, gripping him tightly.

"Lelouch."

"Touching." Lelouch jerked away at Akito’s laugh, narrowing his eyes as the varcolac circled the two of them. "We found your angel, now we can leave."

"Leave?" Suzaku shifted slightly so Lelouch was behind him, sword already in hand. "What are you talking about? There’s no way-"

Lelouch pulled back Suzaku’s sword arm. “Akito says there is.”

Suzaku glanced incredulously back at him. “And you’d trust him?”

"He’d better." Akito took a step forward, his own weapon held loosely. "I’m the one who stuck with him. I didn’t run away."

"Suzaku didn’t-" Lelouch froze as Suzaku’s shoulders slumped, enough of an admission of guilt for him. He reached forward and turned Suzaku around, annoyed when the angel wouldn’t meet his eyes. "You were running away from me?"

"Lelouch…"

"You were going to leave me here to die?!"

"No!" Suzaku glanced back over at Akito before taking a step back. "I was protecting you."

"By running."

"Yes! Because I’m an angel." Lelouch rolled his eyes, not surprised when Suzaku growled. "The Leviathans are here, Lelouch, and they know that they can ride an angel out. They’ve done it before. If they find me, the first thing they’ll do is kill you because you helped send them back. Then they’d kill me and ride this body back to earth to take care of the one angel that tried to send them back. Where would Nunnally be then because I don’t think that the Leviathans would let her live. So, yes, I am running. Because it’s the one thing that will keep everyone safe and, since I failed so spectacularly at that the first time around, I want to do this one thing."

Lelouch stared at Suzaku for a moment before punching him, a bit relieved that Suzaku went with the motion instead of resisting him. “You idiot! I wouldn’t leave here without you and you know it. But I’m not leaving Nunnally up there alone, not with just Euphemia to protect her from C.C, especially with Euphy’s record with demons. Of course I’m going to find you and drag you out with me, whether you want me to or not.”

To his surprise, Suzaku smiled. “You are going to raise an _angel_ from Perdition?”

Lelouch sighed. This was progress. “Kicking and screaming if I have to.”

—-

In Purgatory everything was trying to kill you with few exceptions, it was the first thing that Lelouch had learned. The second thing was that those few exceptions were to be cherished, because ones like Akito were rare.

As it was, Akito had kept him from dying as he had searched through Purgatory for Suzaku, so Lelouch owed him the favor of carrying him out and back to his body. Not that Lelouch ever regretted the deal, not even with Suzaku scowling at him for it. The varcolac had been his one steady ally, and Lelouch was not in the habit of discarding allies, even before he had come through Purgatory. And Suzaku had no room to talk. When he and Akito weren’t snipping at each other, they made a good team.

Now was one of those times.

The three of them had stumbled into a nest of vampires, all of them eager to find the human that was rumored to be running through Purgatory and to see the strange being that came with it. Trying to attack them had been their first mistake.

Lelouch might not have been as good at close combat as the others, but he had learned to handle himself well enough to get killed and he was efficient. He would strike to kill and usually make his target. He was the one with mercy. Akito seemed to enjoy hacking into his enemies while Suzaku moved with all the lethal grace and rage of an angel. It was the only time all three of them seemed to be able to function as a unit.

He ducked one attack, stepping back and raising his weapon as the vampire recovered, waiting for his moment to strike. As soon as the vampire’s back was to him, Lelouch was lunging forward and bringing his blade down on the vampire’s neck. It took effort to push the blade all the way through the vampire’s neck, but he did it with a grunt, backing away from the body as it fell.

Lelouch could hear Akito to one side, turning to keep his back to the varcolac. Despite his eagerness in battle, Akito always remembered to guard Lelouch’s back.

He felt the corner of his mouth twitch up in a smile as he heard Akito make a sound like a growl, Lelouch turning in time to see the varcolac grab onto his enemy by the neck and bear him to the ground. Akito dug his nails into the vampire’s neck, switching out hand for blade in an effortless move. When Akito looked back up, his face was smeared in blood and contorted into a wolf-like snarl. Akito nodded at Lelouch and stood up, taking a few steps back.

With the first wave repulsed, it was only a matter of time before the vampires decided their next move. Lelouch eyed the ones that were still standing around them, getting a better grip on his weapon. The vampires looked at each other before charging.

Lelouch sidestepped, bringing his weapon up to slash at the vampire that was leaping down at him. He turned and hacked off the vampire’s head, having to turn quickly to avoid another attack. Lelouch nodded to himself, falling easily back into the pattern of fighting, one that his body would never be able to forget even if he tried.

Behind him, he could hear Akito’s near maniacal laughter and his shouts of “Die!” as he plowed through the vampires. It was typical of battle with Akito, he had learned that. It was the one way that the varcolac showed his bloodthirsty nature, the only time the calm façade broke.

A growl that wasn’t from the varcolac made him turn around, Lelouch widening his eyes as he saw the vampire looming over him. It was too close for Lelouch to attack in time so he backed up, yelping as he tripped over one of the bodies. The vampire lunged for him, the snarl it was making coming to a choked stop as something pierced its throat. Then Suzaku was there, effortlessly ripping the angel blade through the vampire’s throat.

Suzaku pushed the vampire aside, offering his hand to Lelouch. It wasn’t to help Lelouch to his feet, Suzaku just pulling Lelouch up before turning around. “Stay on your feet.”

Lelouch brushed himself off. “I know that.”

He didn’t bother to say thanks, because Suzaku already knew. The angel’s attention was already somewhere else, looking over the vampires that were trying to run away now.

Akito took care of two out of the three quickly, bringing one down with a kick to the back of the knee before turning on the other. Two heads rolled free on the ground in no time, Akito standing up and panting for breath. Lelouch knew better than to try and talk to him until Akito had lost the adrenalin from battle and became something more human again; which meant that last vampire was his job.

Except Suzaku moved faster.

Suzaku switched his grip on the angel blade, the only warning Lelouch got before Suzaku was running. He took a few strides after the vampire before disappearing entirely. Lelouch didn’t bother to wonder where Suzaku had gone, because the angel was back in no time, executing a spin kick that sent the vampire tumbling to the ground. The angel was on him before the vampire could move, cutting off his head and standing up.

Lelouch nodded as Suzaku flicked the blood off of his sword, taking in the dead vampires. He didn’t know what happened to the monsters that they killed in Purgatory, but he hadn’t recognized any of them that had come after him. If they did come back to life, then they probably stayed away. They were the smart ones. The others that tried to get them were all idiots, save for the Leviathans that were constantly trailing them.

He would have felt like the battles were a waste of time, except it was a good mark of how Suzaku was recovering, a reminder that the angel was back to full strength. He didn’t fight tentatively anymore, remaining constantly on the ground and only using his grace to smite. Now he was moving around, the efficient fighter that had helped bring down the apocalypse and survive a civil war in Heaven. He was Suzaku again and Lelouch was relieved.

\---

The ritual had gone exactly as Akito had said it would, although Lelouch had not been expecting the excruciating pain in his arm as the varcolac’s soul had climbed on in beside his own. He hadn’t really been expecting Akito’s soul to have to be inside of him to get out in the first place. But Lelouch was willing to take what he got. He had his partial protector under control and now it was time for his angel.

Lelouch turned around, offering a hand to Suzaku. The angel had stepped back when the ritual had started, eyeing the sigil drawn onto the ground with suspicion. Now that he had proof that Lelouch had control, he stepped right up, reaching out for Lelouch.

Their fingers had just about touched when Lelouch felt a sharp tug on his back. He jerked his hand back automatically, trying to figure out what the sensation was. Lelouch shook his head, focusing back on Suzaku only to see the angel staring at something behind him with wide eyes.

Lelouch turned his head, cursing when he saw the white light flashing into existence. That wasn’t right; he needed time for Suzaku to send the consciousness of his vessel forward so they could both get out. There had been discussions about how long it would take, since the man that Suzaku had inhabited had been essentially unconscious for so long, it would take a while to rouse him again. Now that time had been cut short.

He reached out for Suzaku again, leaning against the tug. “Come on!”

"But the ritual."

"I’ll pull you out on my own if I have to!" Lelouch felt his feet begin to slip on the leaves, the pull already too much for him. He gritted his teeth and took a step forward, trying to push his hand over the line. He had to be the one to pull Suzaku over, the angel had to be invited in. "Just get in here."

Suzaku made to grab his hand again, their fingers brushing over each other before Lelouch lost his footing. The pull took advantage of that, the white light flashing brightly around him as Lelouch was catapulted out of Purgatory, leaving behind a desperate angel screaming his name.


	35. Chapter 35

Euphemia sat in the only tree in front of the cabin with low hanging branches, swinging her bare feet in the air. She didn’t want to be in the cabin with Nunnally and Lelouch because it felt like she was intruding on the sibling’s reunion. It also hurt because Lelouch wouldn’t look at her, still couldn’t look at her. Not that she blamed him; there were many things that she had to make up for.

But the biggest blow was the fact that Suzaku hadn’t come back with Lelouch.

When both Lelouch and Suzaku had disappeared, Euphemia had been worried because she couldn’t feel them anymore. She had searched for them, but she hadn’t been able to make herself go up to Heaven, not while she could still remember the bodies of her brothers and sister sprawled around her. How could she go home after doing that to her family? Then again, where could she go after playing God? There was no place left for an angel like her, an angel that had managed to fall in every way possible.

The worst part was that she hadn’t suffered for her mistake. She had lost her memory and worked to heal people while Suzaku had searched for her and fought the hallucination in Nunnally’s head. She had been too late to save Nunnally and Suzaku; she had just had to watch as Suzaku had taken the punishment meant for her. She had almost backed away from helping Lelouch and Nunnally go after the Leviathans while Suzaku, still half crazy, had volunteered immediately. Suzaku had also been the one sent to Purgatory, the home of the monsters that Euphemia had subjugated. He had suffered through the penance made for her and Euphemia had done nothing.

She let go of the tree to drop her face into her hands, wings spread for balance. She had failed in all the ways an angel could fail and she wasn’t punished for it. What she wanted to do was to just rip out her grace and let herself become a human. That would be a suitable punishment for what she had done. But Lelouch and Nunnally still needed her, in case something bad happened to them. And Suzaku needed her now that Gino was gone. Who else would pull him from Purgatory? Her penance would be to help Lelouch and Nunnally, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

Euphemia took a deep breath, trying to coax some air into her lungs around the blockage in her throat. She knew what sorrow felt like. She had felt it during the civil war when angels were dying around her and when Suzaku had lost confidence in her. This was something worse, this was more like survivor’s guilt, because there were so many that deserved to live more than she had.

She pulled her wings closer to her, wrapping herself in them in the almost childish idea that she wouldn’t be hurt by the world if she couldn’t see it.

Euphemia remembered the one of the few times that Suzaku had been able to stop fighting in the civil war, when he wasn’t with the Lamperouges. She had once been his confidante, the angel that he was the closest to. Euphemia had once taken pride in that, like she had once taken pride in her deal because she had been able to give Suzaku the edge he needed in the war and a way to visit his humans.

He had told her of the one time Diethard had tried to convince Lelouch to say yes to Michael, how Lelouch had come back from the experience looking shaken and frightened. Lelouch had never told Suzaku the whole truth, just snippets of what had happened. But Suzaku had told Euphemia that the first thing that Lelouch had said to him was “Suzaku, you can’t change. Understand?”

Suzaku had taken it like the order it was. Euphemia knew that Suzaku would follow that order to the end of his life, because it had come from Lelouch, one of the humans that meant the most to him. But she couldn’t help but think that Lelouch had wasted his time worrying about the wrong angel.

The warning should have gone to her.


	36. Chapter 36

Nina had never been special, not at school and not at home. She was good at science, good at figuring out little things that would be useful eventually; eventually being the key word. Everything she wanted to do would have to wait until she got funding. Until then, she was just another smart girl competing to get into the top colleges with nothing really special about her. She hadn’t been anything important until she had become a prophet, but she had never really enjoyed the position. It had nearly gotten her killed far too many times for her taste.

Even now she was close to being killed, getting down to the moment when she had to make a choice between her own life and the other people that were waiting in the other room.

Nina licked her lips, pressing the rag to her hand to stop the bleeding. The demon had cut off her finger before C.C. had scolded the demon for it, but C.C. had made no effort to put the finger back. It just gave her a choice, her own life taken in bits and pieces or the lives of the people in the other room. No matter what way she looked at it, they were all going to die. Demons, in her experience, wouldn’t just let her go. She had been chased across the country, trying to keep them away from her and her mother, which had left a trail of death in her wake. The way she saw it, she would have to translate the tablet for them, but make sure that she left the demons wanting something. Staying alive trumped everything, especially when it meant that she could get out of the warehouse.

She looked up at where C.C. was kicked back in a chair, a pizza box resting on her stomach. Nina swallowed and turned back to look at the tablet. “Could I get paper? It makes things easier if I can write.”

C.C. looked at Nina’s bloody hand, raising an eyebrow. Nina was just glad that C.C. didn’t comment, she had gotten her fill of snide comments from the demon that had cut off her pinkie finger.

To her relief, C.C. nodded and set the pizza box on a nearby table. Nina looked back down at the tablet, taking a deep breath to calm herself. C.C. would be leaving the room, probably just long enough for Nina to look for an escape route, not that she would get to use it. Perhaps she could send the demon away another time so she could slip out and take the tablet with her. That would be the optimum plan, one that would have her, the tablet and the other people. If things went wrong, that Nina would focus on getting herself and the tablet out, doing so would save more people.

A rustle of wings made her look up, Nina staring at the woman that had appeared. She felt her mouth drop open as she automatically leaned over the tablet. She knew that surge of power, it was another angel, another creature that Nina didn’t want to deal with. The last angel that Nina had seen had been half insane and completely useless, as were the others that had claimed to come from his garrison. None of them had been able to protect her.

This one didn’t look any better, looking like a girl out for a day at the mall in her orange ruffled skirt and white shirt. The angel didn’t even look like she could stand up to C.C. or any other demon in the building. Nina swallowed and looked over at C.C.

The demon didn’t look too surprised, just interested. C.C. leaned against the door, giving the angel nod. “Euphemia, it’s good to see you. Where have you been?”

“That’s none of your business.” The angel settled into what looked like a fighting stance, Nina seeing her waver.

C.C. must have seen it too, because she laughed and waved the angel away. “Come back when you are back completely. I don’t make a habit of killing the weak, even if they have screwed me over.”

That made Euphemia flinch, but she didn’t move from her spot. She just twisted her wrist, a silver blade dropping into her hand. C.C. laughed and held up her own hand, a similar blade appearing. “Euphemia, I gave you a chance to run. I don’t think that either of the Lamperouges wants you dead. And what would Suzaku say?”

Nina flinched as the angel shot a glare at the demon. Apparently it had been the wrong thing to say. “I can fight, C.C. I am not the weakling you think I am.”

C.C. flicked the tip of her blade in Euphemia’s direction. “Prove it.”

Nina thought that Euphemia was just going to attack, but the angel just straightened from her fighting stance. Nina thought she heard C.C. laugh, but her full attention was on the way that Euphemia seemed to glow from within. She let out a breath, her mouth dropping open again as the glow intensified, even making the angel’s eyes glow. Nina jerked backwards as the shadow of wings appeared on the wall

For all of the display, C.C. didn’t look intimidated, something that Nina couldn’t understand. Compared to the angels that she had seen before,  _this_  what angels should look like. They shouldn’t be huddled in a black jacket over white hospital scrubs or in suits; they should hold all the power and glory of heaven. And wings. Nina breathed out a sigh of wonder, angels should have wings. Some part of her was categorizing the wings as she looked, that they were like a songbirds, for quick flight and that made it all the better. This was an angel that could fight. An angel that could take flight and be quick, the messengers of God that Nina had always thought they were.

C.C. snorted and took a step forward, Nina taking the moment to scramble back, looking between the two beings. If there was a fight, she wanted to get out of the way as fast as she could. She flinched as her back knocked against the wall.

The two beings stared at each other, the angel the first to make the move.

Nina flinched as Euphemia brought the hilt of the sword down on the table and the tablet. C.C. flickered out of sight, Nina feeling like crying out as she felt the tablet break. She wanted to scramble across the room, but there was a flash of light from the tablet, Nina covering her eyes and ducking her head. She was sure that she heard howling of wind before the room went silent. It was only then that Nina felt safe to look out from between her arms.

The table was shattered into pieces in the middle of the room, half of the tablet resting on it. C.C. must have taken the other half when she had dodged the angel’s attack. Nina swallowed, keeping herself from reaching out for the other piece of the tablet. She could feel an ache, almost like her body had been hurt by the tablet break. She shook her head, quickly turning her attention to her savior.

Nina gasped when she saw the angel sprawled against the wall, looking like a human woman again. But Nina would never be able to see the angel as a human again; she had glimpsed the power and the glory. If she looked hard enough, Nina was sure that she could see it still.

Cautiously, she crawled over to where the angel was resting. For a moment, she was uncertain about what to do. She looked around, keeping her gaze away from the broken tablet. “Euphemia?”

“Euphy.” The angel looked up at her. “Call me Euphy.”

Nina felt her heart beat faster at the easy offer of the nickname. That someone like her was being offered the name meant that she had to be something special, even if was just to this angel. She remembered to nod. “Are you alright, Euphy?”

“I will be.” She laughed, pushing herself up. Nina remained on the floor, staring up at the angel. “I didn’t expect to hold that bluff for that long. But you’re alright?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine.”

Nina was taken aback when Euphemia offered her a hand. She hesitated for a moment before taking the offered hand. Euphemia easily lifted her to her feet, peering critically at Nina’s bloody hand. “I can fix that for you.”

The block that Nina had over her voice suddenly disappeared. “T-thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me.” That got her another one of the angel’s smiles. Nina wanted nothing more than to store them all away for later.

She licked her lips. “Are you here to protect me?”

“Yes.” Euphemia didn’t get the chance to continue, the door being flung inward as Lelouch stumbled into the room.

Nina frowned at the intrusion, wanting more time with the angel before the world intruded. But she was calmed by the hand that the angel laid on her arm. Nina kept herself from leaning into the touch, standing firm. She didn’t listen to any of the conversation between Euphemia and Lelouch though; she was too caught up in the feeling of protection she got from the angel.  _Her_  angel.


	37. Chapter 37

Suzaku stumbled out of Purgatory, still fighting because the angels had been the ones to drag him out. He was done with Heaven and its angels because they had been the ones who had driven Euphemia to open Purgatory and take in the souls in her desperation. They had been the ones who had goaded on the Apocalypse which had left Nunnally with no choice to jump into the cage which had led to her later brush with insanity and death. There had been no good thing to come out of Heaven for a long while. 

He lashed out with his blade, smirking when he heard a scream from the last angel, ducking under the cover of a tree as he waited for a sign that they had come back. If they had gone through the trouble of trying to drag him from Purgatory then they were going to use him. Suzaku nervously flipped his sword over in his hands, remaining crouched until he was sure that they were gone. The angels wouldn’t leave him alone for long, so he would take his chance to find safety, which would mean finding Lelouch and Nunnally again.

Carefully, Suzaku stepped away from his hiding place, hesitating a moment before tucking his sword away. He would be wandering along the road and wouldn’t be picked up if he was seen with a sword. As it was, he doubted that any human would want to help him. He was covered in the blood and dirt of Purgatory. Suzaku shivered and rubbed at one patch on his arm, watching small pieces of dried mud flake off. As soon as he was safe, he would get cleaned up. He wanted to get rid of this last reminder of Purgatory.

Suzaku stepped out of the forest and onto the road, freezing when he saw someone else standing there.

The man laughed at Suzaku. “I thought something big was coming with all that noise. I didn’t know it would be you.” The man took a step forward, pulling his hands from his pockets and staring to clap. “Imagine it, finding an angel just wandering on the road. What luck. What fortune. What happenstance.”

Suzaku went for his sword, only managing to move his arm before he was sent flying backwards. He grunted as he was smacked against a tree, his head hitting hard. He felt the tree bend a bit under the impact, Suzaku not able to focus on anything else soon after. His head was pounding and it was hard to keep the man in focus. Suzaku mumbled a curse, shaking his head only to have his vision skew wildly. He kept it together long enough to see the man’s eyes go black before he lost consciousness.

—-

“C.C, there’s something you have to see.”

She turned around to look at Mao as the demon nearly bounded up to her. She sighed, taking in his blood splattered clothes and arms. C.C. was glad that Mao had finally found his niche, but she was getting tired of the way that he would report every little advance to her. There were better things that she could be doing, like figuring out how to deal with the Leviathans that were still running lose in scared little groups.

Lelouch and Nunnally were still some help in that, the only good thing that had come out of her first attempt to stack the cards in her favor. Her first attempt had left her with and insane angel and an invasion from Purgatory. Hopefully her contract with Lelouch would prevent that from happening again. As long as Lelouch kept trying to help her secure her position in Hell, then she would consider their contract valid. C.C. had better things than to snatch away Lelouch’s soul. It had been raised from Hell once; there was no point in dragging it back down again when she was sure that some angel would dive back in after it.

C.C. sighed and followed Mao down the hall, wrinkling her nose at the smell of blood. She was not adverse to it, but there was the matter of personal pride. She didn’t want to clutter her workstation with useless mess, not when she would be in there for hours. She had found that the one thing that pizza did not go well with was the smell of blood, and she was not about to give up her comfort food. It was the only other thing besides souls that the earth was good for.

Mao held the door open for her, bowing her into the room. C.C. rolled her eyes at that, ignoring him in favor of looking around the room. Whatever Mao had captured and then proceeded to torture wasn’t facing her. She flicked her tongue against her teeth, stepping away from Mao and circling around the chair. C.C. froze when she crossed in front of the chair, barely noticing when Mao passed behind her.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. It would ruin everything if they found out he was here.

She jumped as Mao pushed a stack of papers into her hands, C.C. taking the distraction from the body that was slumped in the chair. The pages had splatters of blood on it as well, C.C. frowning and staring at the messily written words on the page.

“It’s Enochian.” Mao puffed out his chest, looking proud of himself. “I can’t read it, but I was sure that you could.”

“Of course I can.”

Mao bowed hurriedly, rubbing his hands together. “I know that…but I thought that it would be useful. He stopped repeating what the angel equivalent of name, rank and serial number once I started drilling into his mind. If that’s nothing more than nonsense, then I can go in again.”

C.C. folded up the papers, turning to face Mao. “I’ll translate these and get back to you.” She hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch the tips of her fingers to his arm. “Thank you, Mao.”

Mao beamed at her, C.C. having to work to keep herself from flinching at his enthusiasm. “Anything for you.”

She just nodded absently, walking quickly out of the room. C.C. slammed the door behind her, staring at the papers in her hand. It wasn’t how she had wanted to come by the information but, if it amounted to anything, then it was worth a shot. In any case, there were a few things to be taken care of.

C.C. reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, hitting the third number on speed dial. She walked down the hall as the phone rang, ducking into a deserted corner when someone picked up.

“I have something of yours. Come and get him.”

—-

“Euphemia.” She turned at the authoritative voice, surprised to see herself in the white room again. Euphemia opened her mouth to ask where she was when the woman spoke. “I don’t have time for your questions, I have a mission for you.”

Euphemia narrowed her eyes, working hard to place the woman in front of her. She had seen her on one of the hunts that Nunnally and Lelouch had taken her on, one of the hunts from the years before she had become a traitor and on the run from Heaven. She remembered the woman speaking about the loss of a family member, all the information about the case coming readily to mind. The name took much longer.

“Miss. Inoue?”

“It’s Naomi.” The woman pushed her long hair back over her shoulders, coming around the desk to stand closer to Euphemia. “I need you to go after an angel.”

Euphemia swallowed, about to argue when Naomi shook her head. “It will count towards your penance, and it was a mission that would have been assigned to you eventually. For what you have done, for the steps you have taken in helping repair Heaven from your brief…sin,” Euphemia winced at the reminder, “we would have retrieved Suzaku from Purgatory.”

“You would do that?”

“Yes. We were in the process of doing it when we were attacked. Demons.” Naomi nearly spat out the word. “They have him now and we need to get him out before they get anything from him. Suzaku is weak from his time in Purgatory. Rescue him and you will be able to move on from this phase of your penance and into the next phase. Can you do that?”

“Of course.” Euphemia nodded, listening as Naomi walked behind her. She could hear the other angel rummaging in one of the filing cabinets back there, Euphemia careful not to turn around. “What can I use?”

“Anything you want, as long as it is soon. I don’t know how long Suzaku can hold out.” There was a loud bang as the cabinet drawer slammed shut. Naomi came back around to Euphemia’s front, carrying a long metal screw. “But there is one last thing you will need.”

Euphemia didn’t get a chance to ask what it was, metal restraints clamping shut around her wrists. Euphemia looked down, tugging desperately in an attempt to get out of the chair, only to have the restrains remain firm. She turned to look back at Naomi, shrinking back as the other angel advanced on her.

—-

Lelouch snapped his phone shut at the flutter of wings, turning as Euphemia landed unsteadily in the room. Nunnally rushed out from where she had been lounging in the sitting room to hug Nunnally.  Euphemia smiled and hugged her back, although she never took her gaze from Lelouch.

“Suzaku is in trouble.”

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. “Suzaku is still in Purgatory.”

“Not anymore apparently.” Euphemia walked over, to the table, beginning to shuffle through the maps that were spread out there. “The angels were trying to get him out, but demons got in the way. They have him now and are torturing him for information.”

Lelouch tightened his grip on his phone, trying to keep himself calm. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know. I can’t…” Euphemia frowned. “I can’t quite place him, but I will. Will you help me?”

Nunnally answered for him. “Of course. What do you need?”

Euphemia looked up at Lelouch. “Do you still have that varcolac with you?”

Lelouch purposefully slipped his phone back into his pocket, shaking his head. He and Akito were still in contact, although it was sparse. Nunnally had said that she couldn’t trust Akito, and Lelouch wasn’t going to disagree with her. He and Akito had helped each other in Purgatory, but Lelouch still wasn’t sure of the varcolac, there was a side of the creature that unsettled him. Still, he owed Akito a favor or two for the help out of Purgatory, it was the only reason that they kept in touch.

But Euphemia had been acting strange, the kind of strange that Lelouch remembered from the time she had been working with C.C. to try and bring down Raphael. Euphemia was being secretive and avoiding answering their questions. The only thing that was new was the way she would zone out at times.

Lelouch bit his lip, exchanging a look with Nunnally before walking over to the table and leaning over the maps. “Akito and I have gone our separate ways. I haven’t seen him since I got out.”

“We could have used him.”

“Maybe.” Lelouch swallowed, gripping the edge of the table tighter. “There are other things we can get. None of that will matter if we don’t know where Suzaku is.”

“There.” Euphemia pointed at a spot on the map, frowning and leaning in closer. “I’ll be able to tell better when we get there.”

She disappeared before Lelouch could speak. Lelouch straightened up, freezing when Nunnally grabbed his arm. He looked over at his little sister, hating the worried look on her face. “We’ll figure this out.”

“I know.” Nunnally let him go, but her hands were still shaking. “But I don’t want to have to go through that again. Losing Euphy once was bad enough. I don’t know if I can do that again.”

Lelouch nodded, patting her shoulder. At the moment, he was more worried about what Euphemia was up to rather than what it would mean for the angel. Then again, his focus was nearly completely on Suzaku at this point. The last time he had seen his friend was when Suzaku had been ripped away from him in Purgatory. Lelouch dropped his hand from Nunnally’s shoulder, clenching it into a fist.  _Suzaku_  was the one they couldn’t lose when it all came down to it. Suzaku had been the one that had stuck with them through it all and Lelouch owed him.

—-

Suzaku sagged against the side of the car, clutching at Euphemia’s shoulders to keep himself up. He smiled at her, managing a relieved chuckle. “Coming to my rescue again, Euphy?”

He didn’t get the reply he was expecting from her, not the relief that he had managed to push his way through the hallucinations of Lucifer and the cage that he had taken from Nunnally or the fact that he had gotten out of Purgatory alive. Instead, he just got a blank look. Suzaku frowned and reached up to touch her cheek, yanking his hand back when Euphemia suddenly focused on him again.

“What did you tell them?”

“Tell them?” Suzaku looked away, shutting his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he had told the demons, not after a certain point. All he remembered was giving them his designation before pain had blacked out everything. His throat was still hoarse like he had been screaming, or talking for a long time. He could have told them anything. Suzaku opened his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

He watched Euphemia come to the same conclusion. She leaned back, really staring at him now. And then, she zoned out again, Suzaku tensing.

She was probably talking to someone in Heaven, but that left the question of who. Euphemia had briefly run Heaven after she had swallowed all the souls in Purgatory, but no one had followed after her. A few angels had begged for Suzaku to come back in the interim, he had been the leader of the resistance after all, but he hadn’t accepted. With another deal looming over Lelouch’s head, Nunnally’s mind deteriorating and Euphemia missing, he had had more important things to do. Someone must have taken power during his absence, the throne of Heaven was never empty for long.

He got a better hold of Euphemia’s shoulders, giving her a shake. “Euphy? Euphy who are you talking to?”

“She says…” Euphemia frowned. “It’s an order.”

“Who are you talking to?” When the question didn’t get an answer, Suzaku switched tracks. “What’s the order?”

Euphemia’s eyes didn’t clear when she looked down at him, Suzaku shrinking back against the side of the car. “You gave away secrets.”

“I…” Suzaku couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. He didn’t know what he had done.

Euphemia nodded slowly as she took in his answer. “Then I have to kill you.”

“Euphy?” Her sword slid out of her sleeve, Suzaku glancing at it before looking back at her. He shook her shoulders again. “Euphy snap out of it. Someone is controlling you. You wouldn’t do this.”

“It must be protected.”

“Euphy, it’s me. It’s Suzaku.”

“Suzaku?” For a moment, her eyes cleared, then she was gone again. “I have orders to kill you.”

“Euphy no!” He pulled his blade out, parrying hers to the side. It wasn’t far enough away, Suzaku screaming as Euphemia’s blade cut through the skin of his vessel. He slumped against her, groping for her wrist and twisting it. He heard her gasp as he forced her to drop the sword to the ground, surprised when the world tilted underneath his feet. He had the presence of mind enough to realize that they were flying before they both crashed to the floor of a white room.

Suzaku rolled away from Euphemia, staring at the ceiling as he put pressure on the wound on his side, glancing around frantically. He froze when he saw a woman looming over him, trying to wiggle away when she smiled at him. The woman just shook her head and walked closer to him, stepping down on his shoulder and leaning into the move, trapping him against the ground. Suzaku looked over at Euphemia, shocked to see that she seemed to be unconscious on the ground.

A tap to his cheek turned his attention back to the woman, Suzaku trying to roll away from her when she waved at him. All he got in return was a kick to his shoulder, the woman stepping away from him as he writhed in pain.

Suzaku curled into himself, glaring at the woman from his place on the ground. She wasn’t intimidated in the least by him, something that made Suzaku nervous. No other angel since Raphael had looked at him without some kind of respect. He was the angel that had raised the Righteous Man. The angel that had helped stopped the Apocalypse. The angel that had brought free will into Heaven. He had nearly been worshipped for his heroism, and he had forgotten what it had felt like to be made into nothing. He swallowed nervously, flinching away as the woman leaned closer to him.

“Hello, Suzaku. I’m glad you’re here.”


	38. Chapter 38

Nunnally watched Lelouch pace across the room, trying her best not to pick at the ruined shirt she was wearing.

The blood was making stick to her. Nunnally made an effort not to make a face at that thought. After spending nearly her entire life hunting, the thought of blood sticking to her shouldn’t have made her so disgusted, but it was the blood of a hellhound and it was splattered all down her front, even over her jeans. Nunnally was sure that she had gotten some of the blood in her mouth, even though she had turned her head to the side after she had made the cut. She rubbed a hand over her mouth. She would rinse it out later.

Lelouch stopped pacing, Nunnally focusing on her brother as he stood in the middle of the room. There were probably better places to have this confrontation, but Lelouch wouldn’t let her. The look on his face said that he wasn’t going to let this go until he was satisfied.

“Lelouch, I-”

“I thought that we had already agreed on this, Nunnally. I would do this.”

She shrugged, trying her best to look sheepish. “It was an accident. I just acted.”

The way that Lelouch narrowed his eyes told her what she needed to know. Her brother didn’t believe her, he just thought that she had ignored his order and had gone on with what she had wanted to do. He probably just thought that she was being stubborn and overprotective. Lelouch had just come back from Purgatory and was trying to deal with Euphemia and what she did. He was friends with a varcolac and Suzaku was nowhere to be seen. It was a lot and Nunnally had already told him that she was watching him to be sure that everything was alright. Lelouch probably thought that she was trying to look after him again.

But that wasn’t it. It had honestly been an accident when Nunnally had acted.

She had run into the barn and had seen Lelouch on his back with the hellhound on top of him. She had panicked, because it had looked like her brother was about to die, and she had seen that once already. Nunnally wasn’t sure how much worse actually being able to see the hellhound had made the situation, but she hadn’t been able to focus on her brother in the barn. Her mind was back in the house in Illinois, with Lilith possessing Nemo’s body as she gloated over Lelouch. She had only been able to see Lelouch being dragged off of the table and being torn apart before her eyes.

Nunnally would have stayed frozen in place if she hadn’t tried to step forward; stuck in the memory of the last time her brother had been pinned by hellhounds when she couldn’t move. The fact that she was free to act was a revelation and a saving grace, because it meant that she could save him. Nunnally was sure that she hadn’t been thinking about the trials in the moment she had dove for the knife. She was just thinking that she could save her brother from the hellhounds and keep him from going to Hell. By killing this one hellhound, she could reverse everything that had happened to them since Lelouch had been pulled out of Hell.

It was impossible to rewrite time, but it had been the closure that she had needed. Even pinned to the ground with a hellhound snarling over her, Nunnally had felt a faint sense of victory when she had gutted it. Even with its black blood pouring onto her, it was a victory, because she had saved her brother. It was her belated attempt to make up for helping with the apocalypse.

Nunnally took a deep breath and met Lelouch’s gaze. “I just acted, Lelouch.”

“No. You were trying to do the trials for me. I said that I could handle it.”

“You did, and I know you can. But don’t you dare try to tell me what I was doing.” Nunnally took a deep breath to keep herself from shouting at her brother. Now was not the time to let out years of anger at him. Lelouch was defensive, and yelling would get her nowhere. “I was just trying to save you.”

“I had it under control.”

“You might have, but I am not ready to lose you again!” She swallowed and took a step back. “Do you really think you’re the only one that has a fear of hellhounds? What about me? I might not jump every time a dog barks, but I do panic when I see a dog coming after you. Will this be the time that you’re killed again? Do I have to watch you get torn apart? And how will you get back this time now that Suzaku isn’t here? Euphemia has never been to Hell and she’s not a soldier, Lelouch. How will I get you back then?”

Lelouch stared at her for a moment, Nunnally almost sure that he understood. Then he held out his hand. “Give me the incantation, Nunnally.”

“No.” She took a step back from him. “It won’t work for you, but it will work for me. I’ll do these trials if I have to, because I’m not letting you attempt to kill yourself through them. Schneizel, Rolo, Gabrielle, Clovis, Shirley, Isabel and Suzaku might not be around to save you, but I am. And I will keep saving you until you get it through your head that I don’t want a world without you. It’s not worth it if you aren’t around.”

“Nunnally…”

She reached up to wipe tears away from her face. She didn’t want to be crying now; it would turn Lelouch from paying attention to wanting to comfort her. Nunnally took a deep breath and looked away from her brother, taking the moment to collect herself. When she was sure of herself, she looked back at him. “I need you to promise that you will let me do these trials.”

“I can’t. They could get you killed.”

“They might, but you’re there.” She smiled at him. “I’m trusting you to guard my back and the same should go for you. I just got you back and I’m not giving you up again. So, promise that you let me do these trials, because I’m not going to let you die. And I promise to fight until the end.”

She offered her free hand to him, carefully hiding the paper behind her back. This was not about the trials anymore, it was about the two of them figuring out how to fix what had happened between them.

Lelouch stared at her hand for a moment before taking it and giving it a firm shake. “I promise.”


	39. Chapter 39

"Hold the line!"

Nunnally pressed a hand to her mouth as her brother strode past, the ends of his cape whipping out behind him. He looked every inch the general, which was hilarious because of his reluctance to get into costume anyway.

It had taken both her and Charlie to pull Lelouch from the tech tent before the great battle. Nunnally had thought that Lelouch would have gotten away with altering Charlie’s battle plans, but the queen had noticed and demanded that they give as good of a fight as they could.

She managed to put on a serious expression as Lelouch swept past again, still shouting at the top of his lungs.

"We are knights of Moondor, we will not just turn and run! Who do you fight for?"

"The queen!" The cry came from their troops, their men and women pushing against the forces of the orcs. Even with the padded weapons and beanbags, the battle looked fierce. Nunnally was sure that there would be bruises when the day was over.

Apparently, that wasn’t enough for Lelouch. He came to a stop right in front of where she was standing, almost blocking her view of the field. “We are knights of truth! Knights for justice! If you fall here, who will stand?”

Charlie ducked out of the battle, Nunnally gesturing her over and grabbing her arm. At the moment, her job was to man the water cooler, but she was plotting a daring move if their troops starting flagging. It had been too much fun being in costume all day just to stand behind her brother.

She offered a cup to Charlie, the woman taking the cup and drinking quickly. Charlie wiped her mouth on her sleeve, glancing back at Lelouch. “He’s getting really into this.”

"Lelouch never does anything by halves."

"He could have been a general."

"Possibly. I just think he likes bossing people around. It’s why he has a little sister."

Charlie huffed and rolled her eyes, passing the cup back to Nunnally and picking up her sword again. “You going to join us?”

"Of course." Nunnally pulled the sword from its place at her hip. "Victory will be ours."

She clasped Charlie’s arm before turning and charging into battle. She thought she heard a surprised shout from Lelouch, but he ignored her. She knew how to take care of herself in a fake battle; she was a hunter after all. And Lelouch had trained her, there was no one better.

"For Moondor!"


	40. Chapter 40

James zi Britannia had expected the descriptions of monsters and hunts in his son’s journal.

After working for most of his life as the manager of the book collection at what he had thought had just been an eccentric millionaires’ club and reading the books on the shelves, he could take the descriptions of supernatural creatures in stride. After being chased from his desk by one of the gentlemen of the club, passed a key and told to guard it with his very life before being shoved into the future, James could believe that Lelouch and Nunnally hunted those same monsters. He may have been in the library at the time that Abaddon attacked, but he had seen what the demon had been able to do as he was rushed into the safety of a laboratory. The fact that the monsters had become real worried him the most out of everything, because he could just imagine his young son at home, still asleep and waiting for his father to come back. Anything could happen to Charles while he was stuck in the future. That was the one of the reason that he had to return to 1958. His entire family was waiting for him there.

Then again, there was some of his family here too.

James glanced towards the door of the motel room, checking to see if Lelouch and Nunnally were coming back in before dropping his gaze back to the journal.

The both of them looked so much like his son, although Nunnally looked the most like Charles; they both had Charles’ eyes and Lelouch was close to his son’s personality. It was all too easy to see them as his grandchildren, even if James was fighting the urge. He would be going back; there was no reason to get attached. But it was hard when he could see how Charles had obviously loved his children; it was all in the journal.

 _Nunnally took her first steps today,_ was written near the front of the journal, underneath a description of a windigo and how to kill it, but she wasn’t the first. On the fourth page, the last page of a detailed description of how to kill witches was the simple sentence:  _Lelouch smiled for the first time since the fire today_. James had no frame of reference for what the fire entailed, but it was easy enough to guess. Scattered around the pages, sometimes written in handwriting so small or so smudged that he couldn’t read it properly were the same three words.

 _I miss her_.

It was easy enough to assume that the her was Charles’ wife, the one whose picture was tucked into the back lining of the journal. And, from the way that he had found the picture, neither Lelouch nor Nunnally had disturbed it for a while. Perhaps they had their own pictures of the mysterious woman, James would never know. He could only know Charles’ wife from this one picture, where she was smiling up at the camera while holding a baby and wrangling a young toddler. The picture was unlabeled, so James had to assume that the baby was Nunnally and the toddler was Lelouch. It showed a life before the fire, the one that had to have taken Charles’ wife. How that connected to Charles’ decision to begin hunting James would never know. He wouldn’t get the chance to talk to his son about it because he intended to chance the future.

He saw the way Lelouch and Nunnally acted, checking the motel room and setting up their personal belongings like soldiers on the march. James had served in the second World War, albeit not for long before the war had finished, but it had been enough to introduce him to the haggard look that soldiers who had served on the front for just too long had gotten. How those same soldiers would look like they had aged decades in a month and how the soldiers were never quite the same again. James had been lucky to be in an out so quickly, and lucky to have Anne, who had served close to the front lines because she had understood.

Soldiers who fought in a war, James could understand. But his own grandchildren were a different matter altogether. Lelouch and Nunnally deserved to be brought up in a home as children, not as soldiers. They deserved a life outside of hunting the supernatural. They deserved a lifetime with their parents instead of the short time that they had seemed to have. It may have been a little selfish, but James wanted to see them before they had become hardened and suspicious. Maybe he would have been able to trust them more.

Carefully, he nudged the picture back in place, hiding the woman’s smile in the safety of the leather journal. He shut the journal and pushed it to the side, pondering what he would have to do next.

The obvious step was to return to 1958 and proceed from there. When he changed the future, Abaddon would be lost to this world forever. It would also give him the time to come up with something to defeat her, since the usual methods didn’t seem to be working. But, to return, he needed the ingredients to the spell.

James drummed his fingers against the table before getting up. With a pen and paper in hand, he scrawled out the ingredients that he remembered being shown and a rough drawing of the sigil that had brought him to the future.

Satisfied with his work, James set the pen down and started for the door. It would be better to get the spell done before Lelouch and Nunnally got back; he had a feeling that they wouldn’t readily accept his explanations.

He made a beeline for Lelouch’s car, easily picking the lock for the trunk with experience from his youth, experience that he never wanted to share with anyone. It would be better in the long run anyway. As hunters, Lelouch and Nunnally were bound to have most of the supplies that he needed and James had thought that he had seen some promising boxes tucked away in corners when Lelouch had opened the truck earlier to pull out their bags.

James searched through the truck, only coming up with extra supplies and a tool box before he pushed them all out of the way to pull up the secret compartment. Once he had propped the hatch up, he sifted through the guns and knifes to find one of the two boxes his had glimpsed. The first revealed a pile of different fake IDs, James immediately discarding them.

At first he thought that his second chance was a bust as well. The time travel spell called for the feather of an angel, and James could only find small bags. But, as he shifted through the box, he was rewarded with the sight of the tip of a feather. He carefully placed the bags to the side, staring at the four feathers that were in the bottom of the box.

Some part of him was disappointed that the feathers weren’t white, because all the pictures of angels he had seen had white feathers. But there was no denying the fact that the feathers were from an angel, James could feel the steady hum of power from them. White or not, they would be useful.

James pulled two of the brown feathers out of the box, looking around as he quickly set the trunk back into order. When he had closed the trunk, he slipped the feathers into his pocket along with his list. The only thing that remained was to find a shop that sold the supplies that he would need. James sighed and tucked his hands into his pockets, keeping the fingers of one hand closed tightly around the feathers. He would have to rely on what he heard from the men in the club to find the shop, information that he was not sure he could trust completely. But, for the sake of his family, he could risk wandering the streets of the town until he found the right place.


	41. Chapter 41

The radio was playing softly in the background, almost too softly but he could hear it loud and clear. It was part of his gift, or his curse. Akito didn’t bother thinking too much about his condition, not when there were other things weighing on his mind, like if the world he was in now was even real or how long he had until his shift ended. The little things. Any worry and rage he had gotten about being turned into a varcolac had disappeared all those years ago. Besides, any thoughts about his past went right back to everyone that he had missed after his death and those were crippling enough. He was working hard to keep his instincts under control; he didn’t need to be seeing the ghosts of his past.

Although there was one ghost that he was completely willing to see and, according to the soft sound of her humming, she was coming his way.

Akito grunted and rolled himself out from under the car, watching as Leila walked over to him. She stopped at his feet, a clipboard in her hand. “How’s it coming?”

“Well, the radiator is shot, which is the only thing delaying me now.” He sat up and wiped off his hands on the cloth. “But that was ordered Thursday.”

“Which meant that it will be in about two days from now.” Leila checked her clipboard again. “Just on time. No complaints from the company this time. You almost done?”

“Just a few more things to check up on.”

“That’ll put you leaving here last again.”

“I don’t mind.” Akito stood up and stretched out his back. It would be an hour at least, just to be sure that everything working correctly and be sure that everyone had left the complex. The warehouses and testing fields were perfect for him on the nights of the full moon, huge empty spaces where he could run around without being found by other humans. It kept him from the temptations of his usual prey and the hunters that were sure to come after him, so he was honoring his promise to Lelouch, like he wanted to break his promise anyway.

It would mean breaking his promise to Leila’s grandmother as well.

He rolled his shoulders, wincing as he heard them crack. “I’ll close up.”

“Like every night.” Leila rolled her eyes, but waved anyway. “Just remember to lock up behind you and swipe your card. You forgot two nights ago.”

“Right.” He lay back down and slid back under the car. Akito paused in his work when he heard one of the chairs that were kept in the bay slide over, turning his head so he could see a little of what was going on. From the placement of the chair and the legs there, Leila was sitting down beside him. He snorted and looked back at what he was doing, tracing the path of the line he was working on, but he didn’t say anything.

It was nice to sit in silence with a friend, if Akito could call Leila that. She was the granddaughter of the woman that he had promised to protect, and then gotten killed. He hadn’t been around to fulfill his promise to Leila’s grandmother to protect her daughter, so Leila was his one chance to make up for his failure. It wasn’t the ideal life that he had hoped for coming out of Purgatory, but it got him someone that could understand him on a certain level and a place where he could run when the mood took him. All in all, it wasn’t a bad deal. Akito could only hope Lelouch and the angel had gotten themselves something equally as good.


	42. Chapter 42

Euphemia stood up as Naomi walked out of the small room off of her office. She had hoped to catch a glimpse of Suzaku, but the door was already shut. She bit her lip and took a step back, giving the other angel room.

Naomi didn’t seem to notice, her attention on shaking out her hands and wiping them clean of blood. Euphemia tried her best not to think of the reason that Naomi would have bloody hands.

"How is he?"

"He still thinks he’s in purgatory. He’s fighting me." Naomi sighed and went to sit behind her desk. "Give him a few days to calm down and then we can talk."

"Maybe I could-"

"No!" Euphemia jumped at the shout. Naomi seemed to realize that she had crossed the line, clearing her throat and smiling at Euphemia. "No. We can’t risk him hurting you. He’s part feral right now, so let’s just leave him for a while. There’s no reason to interrupt your penance in the meantime."

Euphemia nodded. It was obviously a dismissal, but she couldn’t just leave. “When can I see him?”

"Soon."

—-

The first time she was allowed to see Suzaku, he glared up at her from the floor, all fire and defiance. It was the exact same Suzaku who had come into Heaven after stopping the Apocalypse and proclaimed that it was over. It was the same Suzaku that had kept them fighting even though they knew they were going to lose. Euphemia was relieved. She didn’t want to see the broken, half sane Suzaku that she had last seen.

Euphemia sat down on the floor, holding out her hands to show that she was unarmed. “Hello.”

Suzaku just turned his back on her, staring at the wall instead. “I didn’t tell them anything.”

Euphemia wished that she could agree, but there was no proof. So she just sat in silence until Naomi called her out of the room.

—-

The second time, Suzaku was praying.

It wasn’t even a proper prayer; it was one of the human ones. Still, it worked for calling their father’s attention, if God had still been listening.

"Our father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name…"

Euphemia knelt by where Suzaku was kneeling on the floor. She thought she saw him glance at her, but then his eyes were closed again, his whole concentration on the prayer. Euphemia was sure that she was just seeing the shaking of his hands from where they were clasped together. Suzaku was just coming to terms with the fact that he might have betrayed all of them. But he had to know that they were willing to offer forgiveness.

She reached out for his shoulder, only to have Suzaku sway a bit away. But he let her touch him. Euphemia smiled and closed her eyes to pray in her own way. It wouldn’t do much, but it centered her.

—-

The third time she was able to see him Suzaku had gotten worse.

Naomi had kept her away and busy with healing children and helping people. All in the name of her penance.

When Euphemia returned, Suzaku didn’t even look up at her. He was in the same position that she had last seen him, but he wasn’t praying to God anymore.

He had his head pressed against the wall and he was nearly sobbing out the words, “Lelouch, Nunnally. Please. Help me.”

Euphemia went to reach out for him only to have Suzaku curl in on himself. She bit her lip, wanting to do something to help him, but she couldn’t think of anything.

Naomi just took one look at Suzaku and shuddered. “Blasphemy.”

Euphemia was taken from the room and just left in the office. She took flight as soon as she heard the screams start.

—-

There was an even longer interval before she was allowed to see him a fourth time. By that time, there was very little of Suzaku left.

He was curled in a corner, completely oblivious to everything that was going on around him.

Euphemia went to kneel by his side, hoping that she would be able to pull him out of whatever conclusion that he had come to. They would offer him forgiveness, he had to understand that.

She pressed her hand to his shoulder, surprised when he didn’t even react. “Suzaku?”

The sound of his name brought no response. Suzaku just kept staring off into the distance, looking for all purposes like he was dead. But Euphemia could sense his grace.

She quickly stood up, nearly running into the next room. She braced herself against the chair, taking deep breaths as she steadied herself.

All of this was going wrong. Suzaku was supposed to realize that he had done a few things wrong, but it wouldn’t be counted against him. He was supposed to accept that and move on. There would be penance if he wanted and then he could come back to them. He  _had_ to understand that all of this was for his own good.

Euphemia looked up as she heard Naomi enter. Naomi glanced at the room where Suzaku was. “We’ve made progress.”

"I don’t understand."

Naomi smiled and spread her arms out. “He’s been cured.”


	43. Chapter 43

Lelouch stumbled back into his room, staring at the empty bed before sighing and reaching back to lock the door behind him. He couldn’t let Nunnally in, not with what he was planning. He would stay behind locked doors until he was sure that he heard Nunnally going to bed. Then he would search through the endless library that the Men of Letters had left behind for them.

If there was nothing there, then he still had other avenues to search through. C.C. would answer him no matter where she was, she still had a firm hold on his soul. If there was any way that she was going to claim it for good, Lelouch would make sure that saving Nunnally would be the reason.

It was hardly the first time he had done something like that for her.

But, before he jumped all the way into the deep end, he had to work through the other avenues. The idea of another stint in Hell made him want to hide under his bed. This time, he was sure that no one would bother to pull him out. All of his angels were gone or…Lelouch preferred not to think of the alternative.

He sat on the edge of his bed, looking around his empty room before dropping his hands into his lap.

"Suzaku." The angel’s name startled him; at least that it had come to him so quickly. With two angels on their side, Lelouch had thought that he would have had to think about who to call on. But there was really only one that he would trust with Nunnally’s life.

He cleared his throat, closing his eyes and continuing on. “Suzaku, you told me that you could hear all of my prayers. So listen up. It’s Nunnally.” His voice broke on his sister’s name. Lelouch shook his head, forcing himself onward. “This is for Nunnally and…I’ve never begged or bowed to anyone, but I’m willing to do it for you.”

Lelouch slid off the bed and onto his knees, assuming the pose that he had seen hundreds of times on television and churches. He had always been too proud for it, because no god or angel was going to tell him what to do. But this was for Nunnally. He took a deep breath and pressed his head against the mattress. 

"What we’re going into, neither of us know what is going on. And Nunnally…I don’t know what will happen to Nunnally, but it’s hurting her already. I can’t have her hurting, Suzaku, I really can’t. I was supposed to…After everything that she’s been through, it was supposed to be me. How can I ask her to do this again?

"But I can’t get her out of it. So far, everything I’ve tried says nothing and she won’t let me do this. I’m not good enough for this. I can try my best but," Lelouch opened his eyes and tipped back his head so he was looking at the ceiling. "Suzaku,  _please_ , my heart is begging. It’s Nunnally. I can’t watch her die. I don’t care what I have to do, save Nunnally.”

Lelouch lowered his head, looking around the room. There was no rustle of feathers. No flash of black and gold.

No angel.

Lelouch sighed and crumpled forward, pressing his forehead against the bed.

Suzaku had always come when he had called, even when he was fighting a war. And there wasn’t even that. He had just disappeared into Heaven with Euphy after they had freed him. And, after that, nothing but missed calls.

He had known that Euphy had been acting strangely lately, completely focused on fixing what she had done while she had been playing God. But even the fresh from Heaven Suzaku had been less zealous.

From experience, Lelouch know that angels acting suspicious were up to no good.

Lelouch grabbed a fistful of the covers, taking a deep breath. “Answer me!”

All he got in return was silence.


	44. Chapter 44

It was easy to keep up with Lelouch, the hunter had never been the best long distance runner. At his best, Lelouch was a sprinter, ducking from cover to cover. Nunnally was the one who could really run, which made them a better team. Lelouch worked as the distraction while Nunnally scored the killing blows. But, on his own, Lelouch was often more of a target than anything.

He flipped his grip on his weapon when Lelouch edged out into the open, waiting for Lelouch to realize that there was no more cover. In any other case, it would have been easy to sneak around Lelouch and take him down, but Lelouch was tricky. After years of working with creatures that were above the usual fare of the hunters, he had learned that it was better to wait it out, to see where he could use the space to his advantage instead of stumbling into one of Lelouch’s traps. After all, Lelouch hunted by rote and he was the trained soldier.

Lelouch edged out into the open, still holding onto his gun. The gun was not his main worry; it was the knife that he knew that Lelouch had. He couldn’t let Lelouch use that knife, or he would fail again. He shivered at the thought of failure, but didn’t let the thought occupy him for too long. That too would be failure.

When Lelouch was a good distance away from any cover, he attacked, sending the human stumbling backwards with surges of power and a few well placed buffets from his wings. Lelouch yelped and reacted accordingly, stumbling backwards. The human even dropped the gun, but he ignored the weapon. It just meant that Lelouch would be desperate when he approached. He stepped over the gun, reaching out to grab Lelouch’s shoulder.

He meant to fling the human to the ground, but he forgot about the one thing that had once been a detriment to him.

Lelouch clung to his arm, pulling on his white jacket. “What are you doing?”

He couldn’t respond. He had tried to argue once and that had brought failure. Even further back, he had listened, which had brought pain and more failure. He had to ignore what the human was saying, because the human was brief and flawed. He was eternal and had the knowledge that came with that at his back. Lelouch would lie through his teeth and he wouldn’t fall for that any longer. He knew now that the only proper response was to bring up his sword.

Lelouch froze at the sight of the sword, but his hand kept tugging. “No. This doesn’t make sense. You  _can’t_.”

He didn’t say anything, he just used his free hand to pull Lelouch’s hand forcibly from his jacket. He heard the snap of bones before Lelouch screamed in pain, the human falling backward. He caught Lelouch before the human could fall too far, pushing Lelouch back onto his feet.

Lelouch stayed there, clutching his mangled hand and staring at him. “Why are you doing this?”

He just narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, driving his sword through Lelouch’s torso.

He pointedly ignored the way blood splattered onto his white clothes, staining them, and the way Lelouch’s head tipped back as the human gave an aborted gasp of pain. He might have felt something as Lelouch’s good hand reached out for him only to fall back, but he squashed that feeling. It had no place with him anymore.

He pulled the sword out with a grunt, Lelouch swaying on his feet for a moment before collapsing backwards. The human whispered something that might have been his name, but he paid little attention to it. The lights in the room were coming back on, which meant that his test was finished.

He slid easily to attention, keeping the bloodstains on his clothes as Naomi walked out clapping. He had cleaned them before he had been given permission once before and she had punished him. He vaguely remembered running the test again, all while crying, and the very thought disgusted him. He didn’t look away from the body either, not until Naomi rested a hand against his shoulder.

“No hesitation that time, good. And no wasted time with revenge.” There was a rebuke there for one of his earlier failures, when he had thought that getting mad would help, but he let it slide without a flinch. Naomi was pleased by that too. She patted his shoulder and took a step away. “Quick and clean, or as clean as you can get with these humans. Congratulations, Suzaku, you’re ready.”

Suzaku turned away from Lelouch’s body then, cleaning his clothes with a little extension of his grace. He turned to look at Naomi then, highly aware of the change in routine. After a success he would be sent out into Heaven to walk among the angels, to talk to them and assure them that everything was under control. Euphemia was no longer God, but there was no anarchy in Heaven. It was his duty to keep the ranks of Heaven in order. He was their hero after all, the one who had stopped the apocalypse. But Naomi wasn’t sending him out; she was standing and waiting for him.

He stepped around Lelouch’s body, remembering not to kick it, and took his place by Naomi’s side. “You have a mission for me.”

“I do. An important one.” She began walking back to her office, Suzaku following her step for step.

—-

Euphemia leaned over the railing of the upper floor of the warehouse, gripping the rail so hard the knuckles of her vessel were turning white. Her hold was just to keep her hands from trembling, because her whole focus was on trying to convince herself that nothing she was seeing was really real. The warehouse was just an image, an easy way to train angels for the confined spaces they would be fighting in on earth, a way to keep things hidden from the others in Heaven. A soldier didn’t want a messenger to come flying through while they were training, that was how accidents happened. The warehouse was for the safety of those outside as well as those inside.

It was harder to come up for an explanation for the thousands of bodies on the floor, all of them Lelouch.

She swallowed, crouching down until her forehead was pressed against the railing. Euphemia wished that she was on earth so that she could feel cold instead of the steady temperature that was Heaven, just something to take her focus elsewhere.

She had wondered what Naomi had been doing with Suzaku once the other angel had been allowed out of the room. Euphemia had just thought that they had been talking, working on the kind of penance that Suzaku had to do. She was aware that his situation was different from hers, Suzaku had been tortured and partially feral before she had been sent after him. But she didn’t understand why Suzaku had needed to be stripped down to the most basic level of soldier before being built back up. At first she had thought that it had just been to get rid of any stains from Purgatory, but then she had asked to sit in on the training sessions.

It was nothing but Suzaku killing Lelouch over and over again.

Nunnally had briefly appeared, but those sessions had stopped faster. Apparently, Suzaku was proficient enough at killing Nunnally to move on.

Euphemia had thought that it would have been enough, but then Naomi had turned the focus to Lelouch. The ease of killing had taken time, Suzaku fighting back the first hundred times. He had outright demanded the test stopped, like he had with Nunnally, before finally giving in. There had been a few times when Suzaku had listened to Lelouch talk that Euphemia had hoped that it would all be over, but it had just led to Suzaku being put back in the tiny room.

And then the hesitation had stopped. It had been followed by Suzaku crying as he killed Lelouch or Suzaku violently ripping Lelouch limb from limb while screaming about everything that had been done to him. The worst part by far was when Suzaku had finally gone silent, when he had killed Lelouch without a sound, without his expression ever changing. That’s when Euphemia’s stomach had started to turn and when she wanted to run away.

Angels were warriors of God, but there was a part of them that always had to be capable of some kind of compassion. Their father had ordered them to serve the human race. In the end, the angels had to be the good guys. If they weren’t then there was no point to anything. Then they would become like Suzaku was now.

He wasn’t an angel, fallen or otherwise, he wasn’t even like a demon. At least demons could think, could feel on their own. Euphemia didn’t know what Naomi had made Suzaku into, but she was not sure that any of them were safe anymore. Naomi could put an illusion of Euphemia in the warehouse and Suzaku would kill it. That was the only thing Euphemia was sure of.

Not able to stand the sight of so many dead bodies, Euphemia flew into Naomi’s office, expecting to see Suzaku there. There was only Naomi sitting behind her desk, still looking smug. Euphemia swallowed and took a step forward, more afraid of the other angel than she had ever been. She had trusted Naomi for a short while, had hoped that there was some kind of penance to be won through Naomi’s orders. After all, it had always been easier to just follow orders. Now she wasn’t so sure. What Suzaku was doing wasn’t penance, she knew that much for sure.

“Where is he?”

“On a mission.” Naomi smiled at her. “I had an important one for him. It’s a simple test run, to see if he is really alright. I want to make sure that he’s healed completely.”

Euphemia bit her lip to keep herself from speaking. She doubted that Suzaku had been healed at all; he looked more broken than fixed. “What should I do?”

“Continue with your work. I’m sure that some attention to Africa will not go amiss. Just remember, little miracles.”

Euphemia nodded, spreading her wings. If she was dismissed like that, then it meant that Naomi had no further use for her. She really hadn’t been given a real mission since Suzaku had appeared from Purgatory. It wasn’t hard to make the connection; Euphemia had only been called back to Heaven to get Suzaku. The rest of the plan she couldn’t figure out, but she knew people who were smart enough for just that.  With Naomi done with her, there was a good chance that she would no longer be watched. She would just have to watch out for Suzaku.

She took flight, pausing only long enough to feel out where Suzaku was. She would leave him to whatever task he had been assigned for now, but she would pay attention to her former leader in case he caused trouble. Euphemia’s single focus at the moment was finding Lelouch and Nunnally. With the symbols still on their ribs it would take longer to find them, but she had a few places where she could start her search.

——

Lelouch watched Suzaku get up and walk across the room and into the kitchen, trying to look anywhere but at the angel’s back. He hadn’t seen Suzaku in so much white since the angel had come from the mental ward. Even then it hadn’t lasted long. Lelouch remembered being almost relieved when the scrubs became muddied and blood stained, because it matched Suzaku’s slide back into sanity. He remembered missing the black slacks, white shirt and black and gold jacket that had become Suzaku’s uniform. Now Suzaku came back in all white, pristine and untouchable, just like all the other angels.

He cleared his throat as soon as Suzaku was gone, glancing over at Nunnally. “Something is wrong.”

His sister just nodded, her eyes never leaving the door to the kitchen. Lelouch guessed that she was expecting the sounds of screaming like he was, because this wasn’t their Suzaku. It was more like the angel that had strode into the barn and the one who had threatened to throw him back into Hell. Even that felt like it fell short.

Nunnally reached out to grab his sleeve, a nervous habit that she had retained since childhood. “So what do we do?”

Lelouch opened his mouth to elaborate only to realize that he had no plan. He hadn’t really had one since he had discovered that Nunnally was coughing up blood. Even his prayer to Suzaku had been in desperation without much thought. Seeing Suzaku now, he almost regretted the prayer. This Suzaku wouldn’t care about Nunnally at all.

He ducked his head, gripping the edge of the couch tightly. “I don’t know. I just…He hasn’t been right since he got out of Purgatory. I don’t even know how he managed that.”

“But he’s answering your prayers.” Lelouch shook his head, hearing Nunnally suck in a quick breath. She leaned closer to him, her grip transferring from his sleeve to his wrist. “Then why are you praying for him?”

“I have no other choice.”

“There’s Euphemia. Pray to her.”

Lelouch shook his head. He couldn’t. He hadn’t been able to since the angel had betrayed them. Lelouch had forgiven Euphemia since then, but his first thought of her was always as God, threatening to smite all of them unless they bowed down. “Nunnally, I  _can’t_. Not since she became God. We don’t even know where she’s been going to. One minute she’s afraid of Heaven and the next she’s visiting there in her free time.”

“And this is better?” Nunnally gestured towards the kitchen. “Lelouch,  _this_  is worse than Euphemia when she was God. We could at least predict that. But this, I don’t even know what to do about it.”

There was a clatter from the kitchen, both of them freezing. Lelouch leaned forward, one arm out to push Nunnally back. When no other sound came from the kitchen, he relaxed back into the couch.

They should go and get any information they could from the demon, but Lelouch didn’t want to go into a confined space with Suzaku, especially when he wasn’t sure he would come out alive. Suzaku would come out and give them what they needed if he really was working with them. If not, then it might be time to call Euphemia.

He turned his head to look at Nunnally, freezing as he saw the other person standing in the doorway to the foyer.

C.C. waved at them from her place on the door, Lelouch automatically cataloging the red stains on the demon’s clothes. He stood up, walking around the back of the couch. “What happened?”

C.C. raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a smile. “Are you my knight in shining armor now?”

Lelouch scowled, but held out his hand for her. C.C. wasn’t his first choice in partner, but she was at least steady in what she wanted. She might have gone behind their backs, but her purpose had yet to change, even if he had no idea what she really wanted. At first he had thought that she wanted the apocalypse, but then she had been the one to help them take down the last two horsemen to close Lucifer’s cage through V.V. She had been trying to open Purgatory with Euphemia, but some other demon had started that plan to take control of Hell from C.C. Then there was whatever she had wanted with the tablets and the prophets, Lelouch couldn’t see what she wanted them for beyond the obvious. But she did hold the standing contract for his soul, so it was better to not get her killed. Lelouch wasn’t sure where his soul would go if she died and he wasn’t keen on going back to Hell again.

“Just tell me.”

“A few of my fellows weren’t too happy to find out that I was working behind their backs, especially when they are getting desperate.” C.C. waved his hand away and went to sit in the chair that Suzaku had deserted. “They don’t want the gates of Hell slammed closed so they panicked. They don’t trust me much.”

“I wonder why.” Lelouch was shushed by a sharp look from Nunnally.

His sister scooted forward on the couch, looking C.C. over critically. “Where did you go after you told us about Suzaku?”

“I played my part and then I meant to take some time off, all the wrong people were getting suspicious.” C.C. cradled her left arm against her chest, flinching before snapping her wrist back into place. She gently moved the joint before looking up at Nunnally. “I didn’t move fast enough and they were doing their job too well. I got away because I still had one of my allies, but I decided to go for the ones I was sure wouldn’t kill me right off the bat.”

Lelouch frowned and sat next to his sister again, resisting the urge to pull Nunnally back. C.C. might have been putting on her usual attitude, but he could tell by the way she carefully held herself that she was in pain as well. He licked his lips and looked up towards the kitchen. Out of everyone in their corner, C.C. was probably the only one that he felt that he could trust, which meant that they really were in a tight spot.

“Are you looking for the parchment too?”

His stomach twisted as C.C. made a face. She obviously didn’t know what he was talking about, which meant that they were either working on different cases, something he doubted, or that Suzaku had lied to him. With the way that Suzaku was acting, Lelouch was more than ready to believe the latter. He shifted in his seat. “If not that, then what are you looking for?”

“Something only a few know the location of, because only a few of us were around when Lucifer put it in the ground. The angel tablet.”

There was a rush of wings, Lelouch looking up in time to see Suzaku looming over C.C. He scrambled from his seat, surprised when C.C. just turned to stare at Suzaku. The demon raised an eyebrow, leaning one elbow on the arm of the chair. “Is that what you’re looking for too? I thought as much. You left a very clear trail behind you.”

Suzaku glanced between C.C. and the two of them, Lelouch tensing as he waited for Suzaku to move. He hadn’t heard any screaming, which meant the demon in the kitchen was still alive. But Suzaku had intended to talk to the demon, he hadn’t heard any of that either. Suzaku must have been listening in on their entire conversation, a thought that made Lelouch sweat. Suzaku knew everything and he had only revealed himself when his lie was going to be discovered.

Lelouch reached for his gun, hoping that it would by them some time, when Nunnally stood up. She stepped between Lelouch and C.C, reaching out for the demon. “Stop! You want to know where this angel tablet is, C.C. probably knows.”

Suzaku hesitated, Lelouch sighing in relief at that. At least Suzaku was still sensible enough to recognize when he needed to act instead of just smiting everything.

C.C. stood up from the chair, reaching out to pat Suzaku’s cheek before placing herself firmly between Lelouch and Nunnally. “That I do. I was there when the thing was buried in the ground. Lucifer was an angel after all. He wouldn’t leave such an important thing lying around for demons to find. You want it, you need me. And, if you need me, I’ll need a map.”

Lelouch watched Suzaku carefully, relaxing when the angel nodded. Suzaku would be kept a bay for a while longer, which meant that there was still time for him and Nunnally to work. He reached out to touch C.C’s shoulder, tugging her away from Nunnally. “Come on, I know of a map.”

\---

C.C. watched Suzaku patch up her wounds, turning the bottle of alcohol in her hands. It was halfway empty, but only because she had poured out a good portion of it before sitting down. She would have drunk it, but the situation called for other measures. She wasn’t an angel, she couldn’t just stop the affect of alcohol from her system, although she could ignore it for a time. But she didn’t want to be vulnerable at the wrong time. She drummed her fingers against the bottle, tipping her head to the side. “Why?”

Suzaku hesitated, holding a roll of gauze. “Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?” C.C. took a sip from the bottle, holding it up longer than she needed it. Suzaku looked away quickly, not bothering to pay attention to her, his first mistake. She smiled to herself and lowered the bottle into her lap again. “I would think that you were still not all there since you’re taking care of me like this. But I know you’re not. Purgatory managed to fix that much.”

“Are you sure about that?”

C.C. reached out for him, only managing to brush her fingers over his arm before he flinched away. She sat back again, raising her bottle to him. “Pretty sure. Before, you couldn’t stop cuddling up to me or Lelouch. Now, you want nothing to do with either of us.”

“I-”

“It’s hard remembering everything, isn’t it?” C.C. tipped her head back, careful to keep an eye on him. “Without that barrier of crazy, you just have everything in cold, hard fact. It’s enough to make anyone wish for the apocalypse back.”

She flinched as Suzaku pulled the gauze a bit too tight, the angel realizing his mistake and easing up on the pressure. He cleared his throat, smoothing his fingers over the exposed skin of her wrist. “Why would you think that?”

“The end makes everything simpler because you know that it’ll just stop one day. That’s how it was during the tenth year of my contract for me. I was going to die anyway, so I did everything. There was no after to worry about, just what to do before I died and then death. Give me black and white any day; leave shades of grey for everyone else.”

“Strange. You seem to thrive on those shades of grey.”

“I don’t have to like them.” C.C. shook her head, staring up at the ceiling. “The apocalypse was easy. It was a cause that I could look forward until the end, kind of like my deal running out. I was bad, I followed orders and that was it.” She rolled onto her side, taking her hand from Suzaku. “You can’t tell me you don’t miss orders. Angels aren’t meant for free will.”

To her surprise, he nodded, dropping his hands into his lap and staring at them. C.C. looked up and down, the smile disappearing from her face. Behind the façade and the new clothes, she could see glimpses of the Suzaku she had come to know, but it was buried. It would be interesting to dig that out, but part of her didn’t want to. There was something appealing about the angel in full soldier mode, something that she missed. C.C. laughed. “I didn’t think you would agree.”

“Those were…I enjoyed having a clear goal.”

“You enjoyed being good, being righteous alongside the righteous man.” She reached out to pat his head. “You enjoyed being special and not just another in the ranks of Heaven.” When he started under her touch, she made a soothing noise. “It’s alright, you’re allowed to be special, Suzaku. You’re my special angel.”

He reached up to grab her hand, pulling it away from his head. C.C. chuckled and prying his fingers from her wrist. “Touchy, touchy. I was just making a point. We had goals and now what do we have, just this.” She gestured between the two of them. “I’m running around with my nose in everyone’s business just to keep alive, which has me doing good too often for my tastes. And you, I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m sure that Heaven doesn’t approve.”

Suzaku tensed for a moment, C.C. fully expecting him to leave. Then he slumped, running a hand over his face. “When you say it like that, it’s easy to miss the apocalypse.”

“Then do you regret stopping it?” She just got a blank look in return, C.C. not quite sure if Suzaku was letting her assume the obvious or just not going to answer her question. She shrugged and set the bottle on the floor, sitting up. The move brought her close to him, but he didn’t flinch again, he just returned her gaze. “If that’s the case, and you do remember everything without your older brother hovering over your shoulder, what happens after we survive this?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then I’ll make a suggestion. If we live through this then we’ll have to do something fun, because I’ll have to duck back into hiding. I’m not going through all of this again.” C.C. watched as Suzaku nodded slowly, her smile widening. She reached out and touched his arm, pulling him close. “How about you and I do something? We could get out of here, get a motel room…” Suzaku’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move away. C.C. licked her lips, aware that Suzaku was following the motion. “You could even invite Lelouch if you wanted, a little experimentation before more cold, empty nights.”

Suzaku opened his mouth, C.C. honestly not sure if he was about to kiss her or speak. She leaned forward anyway, about to make the choice for him when Lelouch walked out of the basement. C.C. cursed and sat back, sprawling over the couch. The only thing that kept her from being too annoyed was the fact that Lelouch looked shocked and a little bit jealous. She winked at him for good measure, distracted from his reaction when Suzaku stood up. She sighed and got up as well, shoving past Suzaku only to have her wrist grabbed.

C.C. turned to demand an explanation when Suzaku leaned in close, his thumb rubbing across the gauze on her wrist. She shivered as she felt him heal her, keeping her gaze on his back as angel walked away. Perhaps there was a chance for their little rendezvous later.

——

Nunnally finished off the sigil, waving her hand in the air to clear the fumes. She sighed and turned to look at C.C, shrugging. “That’s why I didn’t really look for you. I didn’t look for anyone.”

“Because of this man, who you still won’t name for me.” The demon was sitting on a crate, drumming her fingers against the side. “It’s not like I’ll go after him, well, not in the way that you worry I might. I want to congratulate him. Someone managed to get you Lamperouges off the scent for a while. That deserves a medal.”

“Why?”

“Because you and your brother go out of your way to keep away from that kind of life and you chose it over him for once.”

Nunnally flinched and looked down at her hands. She hadn’t thought about staying with Matt as choosing him over Lelouch, she had just needed something steady. She hadn’t known where Lelouch was, she had always thought that he would just come trudging back to her like he always had. So, when she had hit the dog, she had decided that it was fate’s way of telling her to stay in one place. Nunnally wished that she could believe that she hadn’t meant to let things with Matt go so far, but that would be a lie. She had liked the stability, the person that could understand what she had been through. Even if it had been a heavily edited retelling of the events, Matt had understood. After Lelouch’s anger and distrust during the apocalypse and what happened after, it had been good to have someone who would just listen to her.

She set the can of spray paint down, dragging a crate so she was sitting across from C.C. Nunnally shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing special. “I just needed it.”

“Needed something other than your brother. That’s two steps forward.” C.C. chuckled. “And all of this over a dog.”

“It wasn’t because of the dog!”

“Of course not. Not for the major parts.” C.C. waved her hand dismissively. “The dog stops mattering rather quickly, but it’s about you and a man, someone that meant more to you for your brother for a short amount of time. And I understand.”

Nunnally stared at C.C. for a moment, shaking her head. “You don’t.”

“Oh, but I do. You forget I was human once too.” C.C. sighed, tilting her head up to look at the sky. “We’re all just chasing after unicorns.”

Nunnally opened her mouth to demand an answer when C.C. stood up suddenly. “We’re not alone.”

She reached for the knife in her belt, C.C. wandering around in a slow circle before pointing away from the building. “You take the two over there.”

“Why?”

“You heard Suzaku. He can’t fix you. And Lelouch is completely useless without you.” C.C. paused and rolled her eyes. “I’m getting soft in my old age, so take advantage of this. Kill them and save your brother. It’s your reason for living, remember?”

Nunnally nodded slowly, taking a few steps back before running off in the direction that C.C. had pointed her in. She gripped the knife tightly in her hand, forcing herself not to look back. Whatever else C.C. was facing, she would allow the demon to do it herself. Nunnally knew that she was barely in shape for fighting, she hadn’t been at her best since the first trial. And she wasn’t going to die, not until all three were done.

——

Lelouch cradled the clay covered tablet close to his chest as he backed away from Suzaku. He glanced toward the hole in the wall they had walked through. “Suzaku, we’re not talking about this anymore. Nina doesn’t even know who you are. There’s no point in scaring her.”

“As an angel, it is my job to protect the table and the prophet.”

“You weren’t interested in it before.”

Suzaku took a step forward, holding out one hand. It was his other hand that Lelouch watched, his stomach sinking when he saw Suzaku’s sword slide into the hand. He sucked in a quick breath and calculated the distance to the door. It was very possible that he could sprint to the door, but not before Suzaku moved. Still, he had to do something before Suzaku tried to take the table from him by force.

Suzaku raised his sword. “Give it to me, Lelouch.”

“Not until I know what is going on.” It wasn’t the best tactic, but Lelouch knew he was useless against the angel. If he could get Suzaku talking, then there was a chance that he could use the chance to escape. Even giving the tablet to C.C. would be better than letting Suzaku just take it, there was far too much going on for Lelouch to trust Suzaku. Lelouch pulled the tablet closer to his chest. “Tell me what happened. Where did Euphemia take you? How did you get out of Purgatory?”

“I don’t want to hurt you Lelouch.”

“What do you mean by-” Suzaku disappeared before Lelouch could finish his sentence. Lelouch took a step to his left, inching out into the open and looking around.

The rustle of wings was the only warning he got, and even that wasn’t enough of a warning before Suzaku appeared in mid air, kicking him in the chest.

Lelouch fell back against the ground, grunting as his head knocked against the stone floor. He turned his head to follow the fall of the tablet, flinching as it fell to the ground. The clay shattered from the tablet with a crash of thunder. Then Lelouch’s attention was distracted as Suzaku crouched over him, the angel pressing a knee into his chest and a hand around his neck. Lelouch reached up to claw at Suzaku’s hand, watching as the other raised the blade. “Get off of me.”

“Not until the tablet is safe.”

“From who?” Lelouch choked as Suzaku squeezed. He coughed when the angel let up, glaring at Suzaku. “You think you could protect it that much better? Where were you when other things needed protecting? Gabrielle? Clovis? Rolo? Schneizel? What about Nunnally or Euphy? Where were you in Purgatory when I needed you? You ran away like a coward!”

Suzaku narrowed his eyes, lifting the sword up a little higher. Now the end of the hilt was aimed at his head, little better than the blade. Lelouch twisted in Suzaku’s hold, about to shout more abuse at the angel when the end of the sword was brought down on his face.

Lelouch gasped at the impact, wanting to curl up in a ball at the pain on the side of his face. Suzaku was holding back just enough to not kill him instantly, which wasn’t much of a relief. Lelouch spat out blood, reaching up with his free hand to try and keep the sword away from him. “What happened to not wanting to hurt me? Have you become a liar as well as a coward?”

Suzaku hauled him to almost sitting. “Shut up.”

“Make me.”

Lelouch wished that he hadn’t goaded Suzaku into action, only able to try and push the end of the sword away from already aching parts of his face without much success. He was only a human, and Suzaku was an angel. He recoiled from each blow, only keeping his hold on Suzaku’s sleeve.

There was some part of him that was glad when the blows slowed a fraction as Suzaku looked frantically around the room, and that there was blood on Suzaku’s pristine white clothes. At least something of him was marking up the angel. There would be a record of his efforts.

Lelouch coughed, having to spit out more blood to talk. “I’m not dead yet, Suzaku. And I can still talk.”

Suzaku dropped him onto the floor, pacing at his feet. “Shut  _up_ , Lelouch. I don’t want-”

“I don’t care what you want!” Lelouch couldn’t see out of his right eye, and he wasn’t sure whether it was because it had swollen or because blood was running into it. He propped himself up on one arm, glaring up at Suzaku with his one good eye. “I trusted you above everyone else. When Nunnally wasn’t around…” Lelouch laughed, stopping when he had to cough again. “You said that we could do anything together. Was that a lie too, Suzaku?”

Suzaku stopped his pacing, pivoting slowly to face him again. The blank look was back on his face, the look of a soldier of God. Lelouch tensed, guessing what was coming next. Suzaku had gotten tired of playing with him, and now it was time to pay the price. But he was not going to die just lying on the ground.

Lelouch gritted his teeth and used the nearest wall to haul himself to his feet, making sure to keep Suzaku’s gaze the entire time. “I knelt to you once, Suzaku. I begged you once. I won’t be doing it again.”

He had more to stay, but Suzaku was shoving him against the wall, punching him in the stomach with the hand not holding the sword.

Lelouch’s eyes widened at the new assault. He expected Suzaku to just kill him then, but this was more anger, like the beating back in the alley or when Lucifer had beat him. Lelouch choked back a laugh, reaching across himself for Suzaku’s blade. If he was going to be pinned like this, he was going to use it to his advantage, although he was sure that he would die from internal bleeding not soon after stabbing the sword into Suzaku, but that was good as well.

He couldn’t really imagine dying anywhere that didn’t already have Suzaku’s wings burned on the floor.

Lelouch didn’t get the chance, Suzaku got in a good punch that had him spitting up blood onto the back of Suzaku’s jacket. He gasped and leaned back against the wall, pressing a hand against his stomach as Suzaku leaned back. Now the killing blow would come. Lelouch chuckled, not sure which part of the situation he found funny. The sound ended in a wheeze, Lelouch looking down as he lifted his hand clear. He stared at the blood on it, frowning as he wavered.

He was going to fall and he didn’t want that. He was not going to kneel from this, he was too proud for that. He and Suzaku had been equals once, so he was going to die on equal ground. Lelouch gritted his teeth, reaching out with his clean hand, intending to pull Suzaku close. He would impale himself on the sword before Suzaku could kill him, he wouldn’t give Suzaku the satisfaction.

Lelouch had more vitriol to spit at Suzaku, ready to start when Suzaku looked up at him, the blank look gone from the angel’s face. Lelouch couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face at the clear look in Suzaku’s eyes. Suzaku inched closer, his head tilting to the side, and Lelouch lost what train of thought he had managed to hold onto. His grip on Suzaku’s shoulder relaxed until he was just holding Suzaku’s shoulder. His other hand, the one covered in his blood, came up to rest on the side of Suzaku’s face.

Suzaku started at the touch, looking between Lelouch’s eyes and his sword. Lelouch huffed, trying to get his anger back, but he was just too tired. “That’s my angel.”

Lelouch flinched, his breath catching as he tried to speak again. He could die easily, but there was someone else that he had to take care of and, no matter what Suzaku was, he was the only one that he could really trust after everything. “Take care of Nunnally.”

The sword clattered to the floor, Suzaku taking a step back.

Lelouch tumbled to the floor, unable to hold himself up without Suzaku there. He barely reacted when his head hit the floor, staring at the angel tablet that was close by. Lelouch smiled to himself, trying to haul himself up to his feet, only managing to reach out with his bloodied hand to touch the tablet.

He turned slightly when a shadow fell over him, frowning as Suzaku loomed over him. Lelouch raised one arm to protect himself as Suzaku reached down. “No.”

Suzaku dropped to a crouch beside him, sliding to his knees a moment later. Lelouch frowned, reaching out to pull Suzaku’s hand away from him only for the angel to push his arm away. He had managed to live this long, had managed to break Suzaku out of whatever had happened to him.  “Suzaku, don’t!”

He gasped as Suzaku touched his cheek, Lelouch jerking as he tried to get away. He felt his skin knit back together, all of his injuries disappearing as Suzaku healed him. Lelouch attempted to wiggle away as soon as Suzaku removed his hand, intending to take the tablet and run. He didn’t get too far, Suzaku resting two fingers on his head, and then everything went back.

Lelouch came to a moment later when Nunnally shook him, scrambling to his feet and looking around. The tablet was gone and so was Suzaku. He wrapped an arm around his stomach, expecting to feel pain. Instead there was just nothing. Nunnally tugged on his arm again, Lelouch looking over at her.

“Come on, C.C. is holding him off.”

“Who?”

“Does it matter? We’ve got to get out of here.” Nunnally looked around. “Where’s the tablet?”

“Suzaku.” Lelouch took a deep breath. “Suzaku took it.”

Nunnally just nodded and pulled him out of the crypt, keeping a hold of his arm all the way out of the warehouse. Lelouch allowed himself to be towed along; still lingering on why Suzaku had just stopped. The angel had seemed unstoppable, but Suzaku had stopped. It made no sense in his mind. Then again, Lelouch could barely remember most of the beating, just vague feelings through the pain.

He stumbled when Nunnally let him go, his sister darting into the passenger seat of the car. “Come on!”

Lelouch slipped into the driver’s side, throwing the car in drive as soon as it started up. He twisted in his seat to look over his shoulder, just in time to see the tail lights illuminate C.C. as she fell to the ground, another demon gently guiding her down in a strange parody of affection.

He came back to himself as Nunnally smacked his shoulder, pulling himself back together. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator and drove away from the warehouse.

——

C.C. opened one eye at the rustle of wings, barely looking at Euphemia before sitting up and brushing herself off. “Is he gone?”

“Yes.” Euphemia stood up, slowly turning in place. “Lelouch and Nunnally are gone too.”

“I expected it of them.” C.C. flinched as she pulled the blade out of her chest, staring at the fake angel sword with a smile. Mao was loyal, but stupid. She had hoped that he would have fallen for her bait, but she had also hoped that he wouldn’t have tried to fight her. She had overestimated his dedication to the cause when compared to his dedication to her. At least she still had her lead, he would follow after Nunnally and Lelouch, trying to stop them from closing Hell while grabbing the angel tablet. She could go back into hiding and not be bothered. All it had cost her was one fake death.

That and Mao’s melodramatic promises to what he thought was her dead body.

She rubbed the back of her head where it felt tender, tossing the blade to the side. “The angel tablet went with him then?”

By the way that Euphemia tensed, C.C. was sure that the angel hadn’t been told the entire plan, which made things interesting. Heaven wasn’t being too clear with its own people. She could use that to her advantage, although she was not about to trust Euphemia again. She had been burnt once by the angel, and C.C. had just cleared the way for herself. She was not about to hide from Euphemia again.

“I’ll leave that to you then. They’ll be heading to a prophet and, if I remember correctly, you and the prophet are pretty close.”

“Which means you will just be free to wander around.”

C.C. shrugged. “I’ve helped them, haven’t I? All through your absence and all through Lelouch’s stint in Purgatory. Hands off is my policy. I’ve seen what those two can do. It’s far better to let them think they’re acting on their own and just nudge them onto the right course every once and a while.”

Euphemia frowned, but C.C. expected the reaction from the angel. She stretched her arms above her head, glancing around. “I think I’m being stood up by your fearless leader. All of you angels are too much work.” She could tell that Euphemia was about to respond back, the angel puffing herself up. C.C. just smiled and took a step back. “I’ll keep tabs on things; you keep an eye on Heaven.”

“Why?”

“Because I would ask Suzaku, but he’s not here and not the most trustworthy. As of now, you seem to be the Lamperouges’ guardian angel. Congratulations on the promotion. Stick close to them.”

Euphemia nodded, C.C. glad that she didn’t have to explain what was going on. Out of all of them, Euphemia was sure to know more about what was going on in Heaven. It was dangerous to leave so much to one angel, but they didn’t have much of a choice. C.C. wasn’t going to lose Lelouch and Nunnally, not when they were the most valuable pieces on the board at the moment.

She rubbed her hands together. “It’s good to be working together again.”

Euphemia just took off in response, C.C. rolling her eyes. She looked around the empty warehouse yard, sighing. “Angels.”


	45. Chapter 45

He had been given his orders. They had been simple enough, so perfectly simple after years of having to make decisions on his own. He was to retrieve the angel tablet and return it to Heaven to keep the angels safe. The demons that got in his way he was to kill. No ambiguity, no decisions that required this or that, just straightforward orders and the knowledge that he would be satisfied when he finally carried the orders out because his superiors had been satisfied. That’s what he had been missing the most when he had been preaching the folly that was free will, the knowledge that he could be put at peace easily by the right orders. He was no longer a confused angel who had spent far too much of his time blundering around in the hopes of doing something great, something righteous. He was a soldier again. With his sword in his hand, he could do anything.

However, he had not predicted how hard it would be to handle Lelouch.

In all of the training sessions, Suzaku had just gone in and killed Lelouch. It had taken multiple runs and some retraining, but he was able to carry out the practice with a minimal amount of mess and to Naomi’s satisfaction. But to carry out the mission was another thing entirely. For one he had to interact with Lelouch to a degree that would not make the human suspicious, and that brought him dangerously close to sliding back to what he had been before. It brought back _memories_. He had tried to ignore them, but he needed Lelouch and Naomi constantly checking in with him early on had not helped him any. It had just made him feel like she doubted him, and had kept him on his toes to make sure that he was not doing anything wrong. But that had just led him back to what everyone else had said.

 _“He has this weakness, he likes you,”_ from Carine

 _“When Suzaku first laid a hand on you in Hell he was lost!”_ from Monica.

There were many other instances that Suzaku could bring up, the sidelong looks that he had been given by Gino when he had deserted his post in Heaven to go help Lelouch and Nunnally.

All of it was his failure, and he had to wipe that out. But that was easier said than done, especially when he had to contend with the little smile that Lelouch would get when Suzaku appeared in the room, the one that was only there for a brief moment before it was replaced by suspicion And that was followed by the startling realization that Suzaku wanted it back and to stay instead of Lelouch being suspicious of him, which was just as bad as his many failures. There were many things that he wanted that he couldn’t have, wouldn’t allow himself to have.

He had his orders.

Suzaku relaxed when Naomi finally left him alone, meaning that the situation was up to him, just in time for Lelouch to lift out the angel tablet. He kept himself from flying over to Lelouch and ripping the tablet out of Lelouch’s hands, reminding himself that he had to play at being Lelouch’s friend, had to pretend that he hadn’t been trained to be a soldier again. “We should take that to a safe place.”

“Right.” Lelouch turned the tablet over in his hands, the delay making Suzaku want to take out his sword. He hadn’t been trained to wait; he had been training to act. He balled his hands into fists as Lelouch adjusted his hold on the tablet. “Let’s go to Nina.”

“No. Heaven.” Naomi had said that they needed to get the tablet away from C.C. or Mao or whoever was leading the demons. Even if the prophet needed to decode it, they couldn’t take that risk. “It would be safer in Heaven.”

He had pushed to fast, because Lelouch narrowed his eyes. “No, we take this to Nina first. I’m not letting any angel have the advantage over us.”

“Lelouch-“

The human backed away from him, obviously looking for a way out as he did so. “Suzaku, we’re not talking about this anymore. Nina doesn’t even know who you are. There’s no point in scaring her.”

Suzaku forced himself to remain still, to keep from looking as nonthreatening as possible. “As an angel, it is my job to protect the tablet and the prophet.”

“You weren’t interested in it before.”

He lost his patience with the human. Suzaku knew that they couldn’t trust C.C, even with her tempting offers. She was a demon, the Queen of Hell despite her many disappearances and all the games that she played. She would betray all of them eventually. Even now he could sense demons starting to converge on the site. They had run out of time to talk, it was time for him to take action. He took a step forward, holding out his hand for the tablet. Suzaku tried to keep his other hand hidden, allowing his sword to slide into his grip.

Suzaku watched the human carefully, noting the way that Lelouch looked at his hand and then the door. Lelouch was plotting a route to escape, that was clear enough. It was also clear that Lelouch wouldn’t make it, and the human would know that. Suzaku resettled his grip on the sword. Lelouch would try and talk himself out of the situation then. That end was better.

He raised his sword. “Give it to me, Lelouch.”

“Not until I know what is going on.” Lelouch had started staling for time. “Tell me what happened. Where did Euphemia take you? How did you get out of Purgatory?”

Those were questions that he didn’t want to answer, that he wasn’t allowed to answer. Those would bring him too close to remembering and then he would abandon the mission. If Naomi even caught wind of what he was doing, then she would demand an explanation and he didn’t want her butting in again. He could do this on his own, he had to do this on his own. He had to show that he was trustworthy, he had to keep them away from Lelouch for some reason that he couldn’t comprehend completely. Suzaku had to get Lelouch to trust him, even if it was through lies.

He held out a hand, trying to remember how to look nonthreatening. “I don’t want to hurt you Lelouch.”

“What do you mean by-” He lost his patience with the human. He had tried his best to get Lelouch to listen to him, but waiting longer would mean Lelouch would actually start talking. Letting Lelouch talk was never the best solution.

He took flight, watching as Lelouch started and tried to look at where he was going. Suzaku took his chance, going for the opening that Lelouch left. He twisted his body, snapping back into the plane of existence that Lelouch was on as he delivered a kick to the human’s chest. Lelouch fell over, Suzaku following to pin the human to the ground. He couldn’t risk having Lelouch pulling out any of his other weapons.

Suzaku tipped his head to the side as he heard the clay around the tablet crack. He only hesitated long enough to see that the tablet was unharmed; he couldn’t have his mission be a complete failure. He stopped then, keeping a hand around Lelouch’s neck as he considered the situation.

His job was done, the tablet was free and all it would take was a flight to Heaven. Suzaku leaned towards the tablet, planning the quick snatch when Naomi interfered again.

He blinked to find himself crouched on her office floor, Lelouch completely gone. He dug his fingers into the carpet, nearly growling at his superior officer. “I have it, let me go.”

“No. He knows about it.”

“He won’t be able to get the tablet.”

Naomi shook her head, Suzaku realizing that she looked scared. “We can’t risk that. Get rid of him.”

Suzaku stared at her, highly aware of the way that he was hesitating. If he was a better soldier then he would have obeyed the order without question, but he had just come out of training. This was supposed to be an easy mission. And there was still a part of Suzaku that recoiled at the thought. Lelouch meant something to him, far more than the angel tablet or Naomi. He knew that it was something that could not be trained out of him, but it could be ignored and he was fighting that protective instinct with everything he had.

How could he forget what had made him an inspiration? He had raised the righteous man and stopped the apocalypse. He was the angel that had brought free will to Heaven, the foot soldier who had defeated an archangel. _That_ was who he was to Heaven.

On Earth he was something different. On Earth he was something close to family.

Suzaku shook his head, forcing himself back to his mission. “I don’t have to kill him.”

“It’s an order Suzaku.” He looked up at Naomi at the word order, suddenly focused. An order was a good thing, an order meant that he didn’t have to think over the agonizing decision. “Kill Lelouch!”

Then he was back in the crypt, Lelouch clawing at the hand around his throat. “Get off of me.”

“Not until the tablet is safe.” The hand that held the sword shook, the first sign of weakness that he had to get over.

He had killed Lelouch a thousands times over, he could do it again.

“From who?” Suzaku squeezed, trying to stop the flow of words. “You think you could protect it that much better? Where were you when other things needed protecting? Gabriella? Clovis? Rolo? Schneizel? What about Nunnally or Euphy? Where were you in Purgatory when I needed you? You ran away like a coward!”

All of the names meant something, triggered pain. Suzaku managed not to close his eyes, but he could remember all of them. Like he had told C.C, there was nothing left between him and his memories, not even the thin filter that had been the insanity that Lucifer had brought to Nunnally. Now they were just there, unavoidable.

Gabriella and Clovis, who had fought so hard for them only to die in an explosion in an attempt to by them more time. All while Suzaku had been trapped in a ring of holy fire and Nunnally had failed to kill Lucifer.

Rolo, the forgotten sibling of the Lamperouges, still trapped in Hell with Michael and Lucifer. The one that Suzaku hadn’t dared to try and save, even after Euphemia had showed him that it could be done.

Schneizel, who had gotten shot protecting Lelouch and Nunnally, the one he had barely been able to save because he had been so distracted. Euphemia had betrayed them all and he hadn’t been able to stop searching for her or the Father had had deserted them all as well. The one that refused to talk to them anymore because of him.

Nunnally, who had leapt into the Cage to prevent the apocalypse, because Suzaku hadn’t been able to make Lelouch say yes to Michael.

Euphemia, who had been so focused on the civil war and Suzaku’s happiness that Suzaku hadn’t paid attention to her until it was too late.

Lelouch. There were too many counts of him failing Lelouch, all of them enough to make him want to go back and try everything again. Maybe it would have been better if Suzaku hadn’t tried to raise Lelouch at all, if it had been a different angel. Then no one would be here trying to kill Lelouch.

“Kill him!” The order screeched through his head again, Suzaku narrowing his eyes. He was trying to obey, but there was a part of him that wanted to back down, because Lelouch was telling the truth. He would have to face it sometime, that he always ran away when Lelouch needed him the most, that he had never once been able to stand his ground when it mattered. He always died. When he had fallen, he had ceased to be of any use.

Suzaku punched Lelouch, more with the hilt of his sword that with his fist, glad for the crunching sound. That was louder than the words that Lelouch was speaking, louder than his own thoughts. It shocked him, that little part that still didn’t want to listen to him, the part that was still corrupted. It made it easier to listen to Naomi, as he should. He kept punching Lelouch, revealing in the silence.

He pulled back, aware that he was breathing heavily and that his hand was shaking. It was a bad choice, because it gave Lelouch the chance to shift and look up at him. “What happened to not wanting to hurt me?”

“Kill him!”

“Have you become a liar as well as a coward?”

“Suzaku, I order you to kill him!”

“Shut up!” Suzaku didn’t know who he was talking to, his head was pounding and he didn’t remember pulling Lelouch up so he was staring the human in the eyes.

That too was a mistake, because Lelouch glared at him. It was their usual challenge, Lelouch catching on to the fact that Suzaku was not going to move, which meant that he was just going to push harder. It was the usual clash of wills that Suzaku had looked forward to, but now made him shake. “Make me.”

He wasn’t aware of moving, starting at the feeling of something breaking under his fist. Now he was really out of control, just anger, confusion and everything an angel shouldn’t be. Suzaku looked frantically up at Naomi, waiting for her to give the order to stop, but she just looked smug.

Even that was wrong. He had been trained to kill quickly and without this mess, without Lelouch’s blood coating his white jacket just like it had coated Euphemia’s before she had walked into the lake. And Lelouch was looking like what Lucifer had done to him in Stull, the horrible beating that had been carried out using Nunnally’s body.

Suzaku looked up at Naomi again, his voice cracking. “Let me stop.”

“You have your orders.”

“I am begging you!”

Naomi considered him for a second before shaking her head. “No.”

Suzaku looked back down at Lelouch, something in him screaming in revulsion as Lelouch spat out blood even as he managed to keep his stoic expression.

Even with the beating, Lelouch could look up at him and speak. “I’m not dead yet, Suzaku. And I can still talk.”

Suzaku actually screamed, the sound to Naomi instead of Lelouch. He dropped the human on the floor, settling for pacing just to keep himself moving. If he could do that, then he wouldn’t lean over to hurt Lelouch anymore. He could still hear Naomi’s orders, could feel Lelouch’s glare when all he wanted to do was be able to think properly. “Shut _up_ , Lelouch. I don’t want-”

“I don’t care what you want! I trusted you above everyone else. When Nunnally wasn’t around…You said that we could do anything together. Was that a lie too, Suzaku?”

He stopped his pacing to stare at Lelouch, not sure if his thoughts were his own or Naomi’s. Because this was Lelouch, it was _humanity_. The cold, selfish thoughts that all humans had that were easy enough to ignore; where everything was about their wants and needs, never about anyone else. That was Lelouch, just a part of Lelouch, but enough to make Suzaku move again. It was every insult directed his way when Suzaku couldn’t perform up to standard, when he had been at war or falling because of Lelouch, and there had never once been a stop to it.

Because they could do anything together, but only on Lelouch’s terms.

He tightened his grip on his sword as Lelouch dragged himself upright. Some part of him was in awe of the human, that beaten and broken, Lelouch would still try to stand up. But Naomi was still with him, shouting orders to kill Lelouch in between her seething. “That’s pride, Suzaku. It goes before the fall. But you know that.”

He knew that well, he had once thought that he was important enough because he had gotten a lucky break. He had raised the righteous man. He had dared to look at humanity to find kinship in them.

And now, he dared to miss that feeling.

Lelouch turned to face him, obviously unsteady on his feet, but he kept staring at Suzaku as he had all through the beating. “I knelt to you once, Suzaku. I begged you once. I won’t be doing it again.”

Suzaku had heard that prayer, the last thing he had heard between screaming for rescue. He remembered that prayer and had kept it close, only to forget it the moment that Naomi had finally broken him down. Suzaku felt a surge of anger towards himself, but only recognized that he had moved when he pushed Lelouch against the wall.

Again, it was Naomi ordering him to kill, Suzaku just trying to sort out the contradictory ideas that were flashing around in his head.

Lelouch was infuriating, stubborn and flawed. He was not worthy of the angels that were perched on his shoulder. He sometimes couldn’t see that he was wrong. But those were short moments, moments that couldn’t be drawn out no matter how hard Naomi tried to linger on them.

Lelouch was family in a way that Heaven couldn’t be. The human had been the one who had let Suzaku in, had let Suzaku get close to the thing more precious to Lelouch than his own life and then allowed Suzaku to stay there. Even through everything that Suzaku had done, all of his failures, there was a space still there.

But Naomi said that he was an enemy, and those were his orders.

Suzaku remembered the pain that had come before from not obeying orders. He remembered being ripped apart by Raphael when he had stood by to give Lelouch time. He remembered getting blasted to pieces giving Lelouch time to speak to Nunnally. He remembered the pain of free will all too clearly.

He shivered, leaning against the wall of Naomi’s office as he tried to draw himself together, aware that he was still beating Lelouch to death outside of the office. Suzaku startled as a hand was rested on his shoulder, turning to look at Naomi as she rubbed his shoulder. “Is it worth it, Suzaku? Is it ever worth it? They live such fleeting lives. And, once those are up, they can never see you in Heaven. You’ll see them, but that’s different. It’ll be like watching one of their movies; you can never change the outcome.”

Suzaku wasn’t sure if he made a sound, but Naomi was shushing him, brushing a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to see you hurt, Suzaku. I’m just taking care of you. We all have to take care of each other now that Father is gone.”

“Can I stop?” Suzaku ducked his head, clinging to the wall. “Please, let me stop.”

“Of course.”

He leaned away from Lelouch, panting for breath. He took in the way that Lelouch looked, surprised that there was nothing to impede his thoughts. No orders, no Naomi, just himself. It had been a long time since he had been allowed that. Not since Heaven had he been able to think, and it was just as much of a punishment as anything that Naomi had done to him.

Now that he was able to look at Lelouch, he couldn’t see the connection to the beating at Stull. That was by Lucifer’s hands, done by a twisted, fallen angel that only knew hatred. This was his own doing, through his own free will. This was more like the alley when Lelouch had been ready to give up, and that sickened him.

At the same time it was right, because there were orders. There was a chance to end this thing that kept dragging him down, away from Heaven and into the darkest places. The thing that had made him fall and twisted him beyond all recognition when he had returned to Heaven. _That_ was why he had needed to be retrained, because he had been twisted beyond all belief.

What other reason could there be?

He felt Lelouch’s grip on his shoulder loosen, Suzaku tilting his head to the side. Apparently, that was enough for Lelouch, because the human smile and reached up to cup the side of Suzaku’s face.

Suzaku jumped at the touch, not expecting tenderness after what he had done. He leaned into the touch automatically, not able to catch himself before settled. It was only then that he realized that Lelouch’s hand was bloody, his eyes jumping to his sword at the reminder of what his order was.

It would be so simple. No more confusion, no more pain, no more temptation. He could be his Father’s good little soldier again.

That’s all he had ever wanted to be.

“That’s my angel.”

Suzaku looked up at Lelouch, feeling his grip on his sword loosen. He turned to look at Naomi, waiting to see if she had an answer. Instead she looked furious.

“You’re not his. You’re _ours_ , Suzaku.”

The claim didn’t have the same weight, because there was nothing behind it. All the angels that Suzaku had been close to were dead or on earth, with him and the Lamperouges. Everyone else was human, the ones that had taken his refusal to help end the world in stride, who had kept him safe when he had become useless. The ones who had opened up a spot for him and called him family with no hesitation, because he was important to them above the fact that he was an angel, _besides_ the fact that he had been the one to raise the righteous man.

Nunnally was like Gino and Euphy, a close sibling that he wouldn’t hesitate to fight alongside.

Everyone who he had lost still hurt no matter how hard he tried to stop thinking about them.

And Lelouch was his _everything_.

“Did you hear me Suzaku? He can’t hurt you anymore. End it.”

“Take care of Nunnally.”

“No.” He dropped his sword and turned his back on Naomi. He thought he heard her scream, but he was too busy taking a step back from Lelouch, shaking his head. He could feel her reaching out for him, but she couldn’t reach him. She hadn’t been able to reach him until he had gone to Heaven and he wouldn’t be making that mistake again. Heaven had proved itself wanting too many times for him. Whenever anyone told him to return home, it wasn’t Heaven that he thought of, it was a car on the road or a house in South Dakota that was kept impeccably organized.

Suzaku looked down, staring at where Lelouch was sprawled on the floor, still trying to protect the tablet from him. Suzaku reached out for something to steady himself with, catching the edge of the table. For a moment, he thought Lelouch was dead and that he had killed him. Suzaku looked down at himself, fighting the very human urge to throw up when he saw that he was splattered with Lelouch’s blood.

He knelt on the floor, reaching out to heal Lelouch, desperate to fix something. He hadn’t been able to fulfill his promise to Lelouch in Purgatory, hadn’t been able to get through the opening the first time. It had taken another few months of slashing his way through Leviathans and watching the portal to see it open again, and then it had come with angels trying to pull him back into Heaven. He hadn’t been able to go home but he could try and fix this. That much he had learned while being a human, there was always another chance to fix mistake.

Lelouch turned to face him, Suzaku smiling faintly at that. His smile disappeared when Lelouch flinched away from him. “No.”

That one refusal made him shiver. Even after everything, Lelouch had never pushed him away. So he had found the breaking point.

Suzaku dropped his gaze, staring at the angel tablet on the floor. Naomi would continue to try and get to him, all of the angels of Heaven would. Before Lelouch and Nunnally would have tried to protect him, as they always had, but they couldn’t protect him from them. Naomi could get to him again; whisper more orders and the temptation of no more choice. And, if they took the angel tablet as well the demons would be after them as well. Euphemia was the one who had made that sacrifice before, but she couldn’t be allowed to do that again. Heaven wanted nothing more to do with her, so the Lamperouges would be safer with her.

“Suzaku, don’t!” Suzaku ignored the request, wanting to be able to fix this mistake. Lelouch twitched slightly before slumping. Suzaku glanced over at the tablet before making his decision.

Lelouch would be safer without the tablet around and without him. He reached down, pressing two fingers against Lelouch’s head to send the human to sleep. As soon as Lelouch was out, Suzaku grabbed the tablet. By removing the two dangerous things from the equation, Lelouch and Nunnally would be safe. It didn’t matter that it was a cowardly move, but Suzaku knew that he was a coward already.

If he had been a real guardian angel or any kind of angel at all he would have fought harder.

The tablet glowed as he picked it up, Suzaku staring at it for a moment before disappearing.

——

It was raining hard, Suzaku staring into the world outside the bus station. There were puddles around the shelter, Suzaku aimlessly watching the drops fall and the ripples spread. He was trying his best not to think too much, it would make him want to turn around and run back. He trusted Euphemia with Lelouch and Nunnally, but that didn’t help the worry that he felt. Instead, he just pulled the duffle bag with the tablet in it closer to his chest, shivering at the next gust of wind.

A screech of breaks made him look up, Suzaku getting up from the bench as the bus pulled up. Usually he would just fly to where the tablet had shown him to go, but he was easily tracked like that. Now, as dimmed down as he could make himself and with all connections to Heaven turned off, he was as close to human as he could get without falling. He wouldn’t take that extra step, not when he had a tablet to defend.

Not when he was half hoping that Lelouch would still pray for him, because he knew that he would still come running.

He stepped out into the rain, flinching at the cold. He pulled his blue trenchcoat more tightly around him, stepping onto the bus and presenting his ticket. The bus driver just grunted and pointed towards the back. Suzaku went, sliding into the seat furthest back. He settled into the seat as comfortably as he could, turning so he could see the window.

No one on the bus felt like a demon or any other kind of creature, so he was safe for now. Suzaku would do his best to look out for other angels, but he doubted that any would be looking for him. In any case, he was good at going to ground, he had done it far too many times during the civil war in Heaven.

The bus started up again, Suzaku resettling the duffle bag on his lap and leaning his head against the window. He still had many miles to go and a complicated route planned out in his head. It would take him right where the tablet wanted to go in the end, but far away from where he really wanted to be. 


	46. Chapter 46

Nunnally screamed and clung onto Euphemia’s arm, or something that felt enough like Euphemia’s arm. She had closed her eyes before the angel had taken flight from outside of their new headquarters, but it didn’t seem like it mattered. She could still see flashes of light as they traveled and what looked like beings. They might have been angels, but Nunnally couldn’t be sure. She had thought that they had gone back to being wavelengths of celestial intent as soon as they left earth. Neither Euphemia nor Suzaku had actually told her what happened to them when they were gone.

She tried to get a better hold of Euphemia on an extra hard buffet, feeling Euphemia buckle against her. For a moment, Nunnally was scared that she would be dropped, spinning away into the space between the worlds. Nunnally wished that she had at least tied herself to Euphemia for the peace of mind, not that it would have done her any good. Euphemia was insubstantial and Nunnally wasn’t even sure if she was all there. Her body could have been lying empty while her soul made the trip to Hell. Nina hadn’t been able to explain much about the trial. All she knew was that she had to go to Hell and pull out an innocent soul.

She and Lelouch had been at a loss of how to do that without calling up a demon and having Nunnally sell her soul to get into Hell, but they would have no way to get out. Euphemia had volunteered to carry her to Hell, or attempt to. The angel had never been to Hell when she hadn’t been invited, she had not been among the troops that had stormed Hell to rescue Lelouch. Apparently the journey was dangerous enough for an angel who knew the way, let alone an angel traveling on her own with a passenger.

There were more risks as well, ones that they had not even considered. The boarders of the Heaven, Hell and Purgatory had been destabilized by Lucifer’s rising, the civil war in Heaven and then by Euphemia opening up the gates to Purgatory. It was the only reason that Lelouch and Akito had been able to slide out through a crack. The integrity of the other realms were compromised enough to allow some cracks to show, all the more reason for her and Lelouch to slam the gates of Hell shut. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like fighting demons that would be powered by the souls in Purgatory or to have the monsters that they had killed able to slip through as well.

Another hard hit had Nunnally screaming again. She buried her face against Euphemia, taking deep breaths as she tried to keep herself calm. Euphemia was trying her best, trying to make up for what Suzaku had done to Lelouch. But Nunnally was just scared that it wouldn’t be enough. It had taken the angels four months to break through Hell, and that had been a full invasion. Their task suddenly seemed impossible compared to Lelouch’s rescue. What chance did they have to find one of the rare cracks between the realms.

Euphemia suddenly made a sharp turn, Nunnally completely unprepared. She reached out for a better hold, just managing to get a better hold when there was suddenly darkness. Cautiously, Nunnally opened her eyes, getting the brief impression of trees flashing by before Euphemia was jerking to the side again. Nunnally felt herself slip away again, this time too fast for her to get a hold of the angel again.

She managed a shocked yelp before she tumbled to the ground, Nunnally grunting as she fell to the ground. Nunnally lay there for a moment, catching her breath. She only looked up when she saw a flash of light. She rolled onto her side, staring at a distortion in the landscape before it disappeared. Nunnally grunted and pushed herself up onto her feet, limping over to where the light had come from. She stepped into the space, only to remain where she was.

Nunnally turned around in a slow circle, pressing one hand against her aching side. She was stuck wherever she was, trapped as Euphemia flew through the realms. Nunnally bit her lip, trying to calm herself down. There would have to be a way to figure out where she was and how to get out. She was sure that Euphemia wouldn’t abandon her. Then they could attempt to get into Hell again.

She began to walk carefully off in one direction, taking in the wooded landscape. There would have to be a road sometime, or somebody that she could attempt to talk to. Nunnally could only hope that Euphemia hadn’t dropped her in a foreign country.

A snarl had her turning around and drawing her knife before she had even seen the thing that had made the noise. She only got a quick glimpse of the creature, Nunnally almost dropping her knife at the sight of the vampire charging at her.

Nunnally ducked the first attack, pivoting to the side and kicking the vampire in the back. The creature stumbled, the weapon that it had been clutching falling to the ground.

She tucked the knife back in her pocket, reaching for the weapon. It looked better for beheading a vampire anyway. Nunnally grunted as she swung the weapon with all of the strength, the vampire’s head coming off in one clean sweep.

She smiled to herself and took a step back, only then looking down at the weapon in her hand. She nearly dropped it when she realized what she was holding.

It looked very similar to the weapon that Lelouch had come back clutching, an obsidian blade with a bone handle. Nunnally didn’t want to know what the blade was secured with, scooting her fingers back from the strings that had been wrapped around the blade.

She had never seen the weapon anywhere else, none of the hunters that had seen the weapon that Lelouch had brought back had ever run into it either. It seemed that it was just found in Purgatory.

Nunnally tightened her hold on the weapon and spun around. Lelouch had never talked to her about Purgatory, just the barest details. He had never said that it looked like an endless forest. She backed up against a tree to cover her back, looking around for any more creatures that were coming after her.

So she had gotten as far as Purgatory, but that didn’t tell her anything about how close she was to actually getting into Hell. As far as she knew, Euphemia had been forced back onto earth and Nunnally was stuck in Purgatory on her own. Lelouch had never told her how he had gotten out; he had just appeared one day and called her. But Euphemia wouldn’t leave her alone, Nunnally knew that much. As soon as she figured out that Nunnally had been dropped, the angel would come back for her. Until then, she would just have to wait.

She spun the blade in her hands before pushing away from the tree. There was nothing that she could see coming for her, but Nunnally didn’t want to stay in Purgatory for longer than she had to. She ducked her head, clutching the hilt of the blade with both hands. “Can you hear me Euphy?” 

\---

It took Rolo far too long to realize that something else was going on outside of the cage. Then again, Lucifer and Michael had gotten into one of their fights and Rolo could barely hear his own thoughts. He whimpered and pressed his hands over his ears as the two archangels screamed at each other. He had long since gotten used to seeing Michael in his body while he tucked himself into the corner of the room.

After Nunnally had been rescued body and soul from the cage, Rolo had been the victim of Lucifer and Michael’s anger, but the two had gotten bored quickly after. There was only so much they could do to a soul that didn’t fight back. Rolo had learned early on that it was easier for him to not resist because then they would leave him alone. Part of him had wanted to share the hint to Nunnally, but he had still resented her somewhat, perhaps even more when she had been saved and he had been left with the archangels. Now, it was too much effort to hate or really feel anything. It was far better for him to just curl in his corner and wait.

Now there was something disturbing him, but it was still to low to be heard by the archangels. Rolo looked over his shoulder and edged closer to the source of his hand, pressing one hand against the wall of the cage. He couldn’t really see anything through the translucent walls, just vague shapes as demons walked by or stopped to stare at the two archangels that had tried to end the world. When nothing disturbed his hand, Rolo pressed an ear to the wall, trying to block out the sound of Michael and Lucifer.

When the two of them were quiet, he could almost hear screams. Rolo frowned and pulled his head back. The new management of Hell could either be trying to get Lucifer out again or they were attempting to clean up after another coup. He could see brief flashes of light as demons were killed, the light allowing him to see more shadows. But it really told him nothing about what was going on. Apparently, it wasn’t important, because neither Michael nor Lucifer had turned their attention from each other like the last time. When the angel had come to get Nunnally, both archangels had tried to pull Nunnally back, although they had cowered at the sight of the second person that had come down.

Rolo sighed, about to retreat to his safe spot when something reached through the cage and grabbed his wrist. Rolo stared at the hand, wanting to ask what was going on. No one could reach through the cage; he had seen the shadows of demons who had tried. Only angels could reach through the cage, but even then it was a complicated process and there was a danger that they would be caught. The cage had been designed to hold angels after all.

The hand pulled on his wrist, Rolo resisting the pull for a moment as he looked back. It was a chance to escape, but he didn’t know what was going on outside of the cage or what would happen to him. He knew that he was just a soul; Michael had tugged him free of his body as soon as all four of them had tumbled into the cage, leaving Rolo to linger on the edges with Nunnally. For all he knew, he could dissolve into nothing as soon as he was out. Then again, there was nothing holding him in the cage, not any longer.

He twisted his wrist, closing his fingers around the other wrist. For a moment, there was nothing, and then he was tugged out.

Rolo gasped as he was pulled through the wall of the cage, not expecting the searing heat followed by the bone deep cold. He writhed, clinging tightly to the hand as he was pulled to the ground. He allowed himself to sprawl on the ground, panting for breath that he didn’t need. It gave him the time to look around, Rolo surprised by how dark the outside of the cage really was. He could see some bits of light from ahead of him, but it looked like the cage was pushed back into a corner and forgotten about minus the guard that seemed to be posed around it.

The guard was doubled now, probably because of the thing that had pulled him out of the cage. Rolo couldn’t quite see the person, but he could tell where they were from the screams and the quick flashes of light that he could see. It was never enough to see who had rescued him, but it was enough for him to know that there was something there for him.

He pushed himself from the ground, freezing at a howl of rage from inside the cage. Rolo looked over his shoulder, watching as the shadows of Michael and Lucifer briefly appeared through the walls of the cage, beating their wings against the wall. Rolo automatically flinched back, reaching back for something to hide himself behind only to be grabbed by the shoulder and shoved towards his left.

“Go!”

Rolo obeyed the order, running to the left as fast as he could. He couldn’t see where he was running, but he was heading away from the sound of battle. He held out one hand to guide him along, expecting to hit a wall. Instead, there was just nothing but darkness, almost enough to send him scurrying back to the cage. It wasn’t the ideal, but it was something that he _knew_.

There was another flash of light before the presence was back at his side. Rolo jumped when the presence rested a hand on his shoulder. The touch turned into a reassuring pat, Rolo not quite sure how to deal with the kindness, he was more used to aggression and anger. Rolo rolled his shoulder, trying to get the presence away, but it stayed right beside him. The steady touch on his shoulder was the only thing guiding him through the darkness, Rolo keeping one hand out to guide him along.

He wasn’t sure how long he ran through the darkness, just knowing that it was long after he would have usually collapsed with exhaustion. And the darkness still went on. Rolo swallowed and reached back for his rescuer. “Where are we?”

“Just keep moving.”

“Not until I know where.”

He heard his rescuer sigh before he was tugged to the right. Rolo gasped as he was pulled abruptly into the light. He raised an arm and blinked rapidly. When he could actually see, he lowered his arms and stared into the room he was in. Rolo’s mouth dropped in surprise, staring at the long line that was in front of him. He looked to his right and left, trying to see an end to it, but it looked like it stretched on forever. In the distance, Rolo though the saw one person being pulled out of the line, but he wasn’t sure why. He shook his head and looked back to his savior.

For a moment, he was taken aback by the woman that was standing beside him. Her hair was a mess and her white shirt was splattered with what looked like blood and yellowish dust. Even without the mess on her clothes, Rolo couldn’t quite bring himself to believe that the woman had saved him. But he could see the sword that she held, and the relaxed way that she held it. Rolo licked his lips, wanting to say something to thank her, but the only think he could come up with was “Where am I?”

“Hell.” The woman glanced around before pulling him back towards the wall. “And we can’t stay here for long. It’s safer behind the scenes. They can find us easily here.”

“They?”

The woman shrugged. “The demons, whoever is in charge now. I don’t know, I’ve been too busy running.” She looked back at him, shaking her head. “I’ve been down here for weeks looking for you. It took me that long through the back ways, but they know that I’m here now.”

Rolo glanced around him before nodding. He hadn’t been raised into the environment like Nunnally and Lelouch had, but he knew enough to listen to that panicked tone of voice. Rolo clenched his hands into fists, wanting to have a weapon on his own.

“Why?”

“I’m here to help.” The woman was starting to pull him back towards the dark corridor they had come from, and he didn’t argue this time. Rolo glanced back at the line one more time before he allowed himself to be dragged back. The woman kept a hold of him as they stepped back into darkness. “We’re going to get you out of here, Rolo.”

He nodded, not sure that the woman had seen the motion. It didn’t matter anyway. He was going to get out of the cage, out of Hell. He was going to go back to Heaven.

\---

Lelouch paced by his car, only looking up when he heard someone approaching him. He frowned and reached for the machete that was hidden in his coat. He curled his fingers around the grip, stopping his pacing and listening to the sound of the other person. He waited until the footsteps had slowed down, turning around and beginning to pull out the machete. Lelouch stopped himself when he saw Akito standing behind him, the varcolac not seeming too surprised to see the machete half out of Lelouch’s coat.

“There are easier ways to kill me than that.”

“That’s not what I called you out here for.”

“Then why did you?” Akito narrowed his eyes, the only change to his usual neutral expression. “The last time you called me, you wanted to make sure that I knew not to call you, which I already knew.”

Lelouch snorted. “What about Leila?”

That got a snarl from Akito. “She was an emergency and she’s safe. Now hurry up and tell me why  _you_  called  _me_ before I decide that it would be in my better interests to just leave?”

Lelouch stared at Akito for a moment before making a decision and pushing his machete back into hiding. He had no other choice than to turn to the varcolac, no matter how much he wanted to stay far away from Akito. Apparently, he had no choice by to keep close ties to Akito. And, thus far, it hadn’t turned out too badly for him. He sighed and took a step back so he was leaning back against his car. “It’s Nunnally.”

A raised eyebrow was his only response. Lelouch took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to keep himself calm. It wasn’t like he and Akito had traded tales of their life outside of Purgatory with each other. He couldn’t expect Akito to know how important Nunnally was to him.

“We’re working on…something big, and she hasn’t been back for a month.”

“So, why do you need me?”

“Because I don’t know where she is!”

“Then get your angel on this.”

“I can’t, he’s not here. I can’t get to Nunnally and I’ve tried everything.” He had spent the last month searching frantically for something that would let him get back into Hell so he could help her, anything but another demon deal because he was sure that he was _persona non grata_ to Mao and most of the demons under his control. There was only one way that he thought would work, and for it he needed something not human. “I need you to go back into Purgatory.”

“Why?”

“Because of what went on before and what Nunnally and I are doing, the spaces between the realms are thin. There’s a chance that there are entrances into other realms. I need you to find one and pull her from Hell.”

Akito held up a hand, shaking his head. “You want me to just allow you to kill me and then willingly walk into Hell, just to grab your sister?” Akito snorted. “I have things up here to look after.”

“I’ll protect Leila.”

“Will you?”

“Yes, because she’s as important to you as Nunnally is to me.” Lelouch drew out his machete, watching as Akito took a step back. “And because Nunnally will take you out of there. Take my sister out and I’ll be waiting for you at the exit with your body.”

Akito shifted in place, Lelouch watching him carefully. It had been a long shot in any case, almost too much to demand from anyone. Lelouch wouldn’t have been forced to this end if Suzaku had still been around, if the angel hadn’t run off with the tablet. And there was no one else other than Akito, Lelouch didn’t have any other creatures he could turn to. He wouldn’t have been so desperate if Nunnally had been back sooner, even a week would have been better than a month. If Nunnally was still gone, that meant that she had either been killed or that Euphemia had lost her. He was working on the only plan he could formulate.

Finally, Akito nodded, the varcolac stepping forward cautiously. “I’ll do it, but only because then we’ll be even. But if anything happens to Leila, I will make you regret it.”

“Of course.” Lelouch breathed a sight of relief, hefting the machete in his hand. It wasn’t the best way to kill Akito, but it would work in the meantime. “Just get her out safe.”

“It’s Purgatory. There is nothing safe about it.”

“Then in one piece.”

Akito nodded, squaring his shoulders and staring at Lelouch. Lelouch glanced around before stepping forward and slicing Akito’s head off. He winced at the sound, dropping his machete to catch the varcolac before he fell to the ground. Lelouch didn’t want to draw more attention to himself than he needed. Mao’s demons would be watching him, he was sure of it. Lelouch didn’t know if they were aware of what he and Nunnally were doing, but he was willing to bet that Mao would figure it out.

Lelouch grunted and dragged Akito’s body over to the car. He would call in a few favors to make sure that Leila was protected, but he wouldn’t be able to look after her himself. He would drive up to Maine and wait for Nunnally to appear, because she could come out within a day or in another tow months. Lelouch was not going to miss his sister’s return.

He hauled Akito’s body into the trunk, making sure that he had the head safely tucked away before he slammed the trunk shut.

—-

Rolo stepped back as the angel flung out her arm. He resisted the urge to grab onto her in the darkness. She needed to be free to fight.

They had been lucky for a while, able to sneak through the edges of Hell without being noticed. But Rolo hadn’t expected for their escape to be easy, not with Michael and Lucifer screaming in the Cage. He also hadn’t thought that it would take them so long to escape from Hell. It felt like they had been running forever.

He reached out for the nearest wall, leaning against it. He wanted to rest, even though he wasn’t tired. Hell was oppressive, even without the lakes of fire and tortured souls that Rolo had always expected. Instead there was nothing but darkness or dimly lit hallways. The angel was the brightest thing around, which was probably why she was drawing all of the attention.

The angel grabbed onto his hand, tugging him along again. Rolo had to jog to keep up, constantly looking around for more demons. They hadn’t given up, but they were circling. He could sometimes see them and sliding shadows over the brief flashes of light. He felt like the broken bodies of deer he had seen on the side of the highway, with vultures circling over head. The two of them were a dying animals, the demons were just waiting for the right moment to attack.

A demon moved past, Rolo turning to stare at it only to stumble. Only the angel’s grip on his arm kept him from falling over. The angel tugged him forward, Rolo almost falling against at the strength behind the pull. He reached up to grab at her arm, about to pull himself free when the angel let go of him.

He was left standing in the dark as she moved ahead of him, staring at some part of the wall before tapping at it. She placed her hand on the section of wall, making a soft sound of surprise when it gave under her hand.

Rolo scampered over before she could wave him over, crouching so he could peer at the tunnel that she had revealed. It was short and angled steeply up, but he was sure that he could clamber out through it. The best part was the light that he could see at the end of it. He glanced back at the angel, giving her a smile before crawling into the tunnel.

He expected the angel to follow right behind him, but when Rolo turned she was still by the entrance. Rolo frowned and reached back for her. “Come on.”

“No. You go. I’ll lead them on ahead.”

“There’s no other way out.”

She turned slightly so she could look at him. “There are other ways out. This one is just…it’s not meant to be here. Hurry, or it might close.”

Rolo nodded, about to climb through the tunnel when a thought struck him. If the tunnel wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place, then he couldn’t be sure that it would lead him out of Hell. There was every chance that it would lead him right into an upper level, or even back to the Cage. Space and direction had no meaning in Hell. He almost backed out of the tunnel and demanded that the angel take him out of Hell the usual way, if there was one. Instead, he swallowed and scooted back. “Where does this lead?”

“I don’t know, but it’s out. That’s all that matters.”

Out was good. Anywhere but back in Hell was good. He licked his lips and looked back at the angel. “Where will I go once I get out?”

“If it leads back to earth, then you’ll just ascend to Heaven. Your body is still in the Cage.” A howl drowned out what the angel was going to say next.

She turned to look out into the darkness, reaching back with one hand to shove him forward into the tunnel. “Go now!”

He didn’t argue, scrambling up the tunnel as fast as he could.

Rolo expected to feel rock beneath his palms, but it just felt like dirt. Cold dirt that crumbled away behind him in handfuls as he clawed his way up. The darkness and the weight of the dirt on all sides reminded him of the time that the angels had raised him from the dead with promises of seeing his mother again and righting all the wrongs of the world. Rolo had still been naïve enough to want some kind of revenge on Charles, the father who had let him and his mother die. He had wanted to be able to do the one thing that Nunnally and Lelouch hadn’t been able to do. And it had gotten him locked in the Cage.

He grunted and hauled himself up further, keeping his eyes focused on the circle of light above his head, watching as it slowly grew larger. Rolo would risk dying again, or what passed for dying when he was only a soul, over being dragged back down. He wasn’t sure what the demons would do to him, whether they would just torture him or throw him back into the Cage, but he was going to fight if they tried to get him. He would fight and struggle just to get to the promising ring of light.

Rolo didn’t know how long he spent climbing on all fours. It didn’t matter, like the passage of time in Hell. All he knew was that the light kept getting closer and then he was _there_.

He stuck his hand out first, groping for a hold on the other side. After a moment of waving it around, someone grabbed his hand.

He yelped and nearly fell backward, but the person at the other end hauled him out of the tunnel. Rolo clawed at the hand, kicking at the person as soon as his feet were free. He was let go immediately, Rolo rolling down the short slope before getting to his feet.

There was nothing that he could use as a weapon, not without bending down again. At a loss of what to do, Rolo clenched his hands into fists and raised them. Only then did he look at the person who had pulled him out, his face going slack with surprise.

Nunnally was staring back at him with a look of equal surprise, holding a strange weapon in her hand. The important thing was that she had not raised it against him.

Rolo swallowed and lowered his hands, about to ask what was going on when there was a chorus of howls and snarls from behind him. He turned around to look, catching a glimpse of Nunnally standing up on her tip toes out of the corner of his eye before he was dragged backwards.

He craned his head back to look at Nunnally, his half sister just shaking her head and giving him a shove. “Run!”

Rolo didn’t bother arguing.

—-

Nunnally braced herself against a tree, gulping down breaths of air. For the moment, monsters had stopped chasing them, which was good. The only bad thing was that she didn’t know where they were going. Rolo had spotted a bright light in the distance, which they were heading for in the hopes that it would be something, but there were literally no landmarks that Nunnally could discern. There were just the trees and rocks that made up Purgatory. She wiped a hand over her forehead, smearing more mud there. Trees, rocks and mud; that was all that Purgatory was.

She looked over at Rolo, glad to see that he was taking the chance to rest as well instead of panicking. He had taken her shouted explanation well, aside from an incredulous look when she had said where they were. He had even come in handy, snatching up the weapon when she had dropped it to slash at some of the monsters that were coming after them. Even as their heads rolled on the ground, Nunnally had the sneaking suspicion that they would just be back later.

She pushed herself away from the tree, shaking her head. They couldn’t rest for much longer, not if they wanted to get to whatever the light was. She glanced at Rolo and jerked her head to the side, her half brother getting to his feet.

They were about to begin running again, continuing their run of however many days they had been trapped in Purgatory, when there was a shout from beside them. Nunnally turned in time to see a strange, half melted creature lunging at them. There was no time to dodge, all she could do was bring up her weapon to guard her face and hope that she would be able to gain some leverage on the ground.

The attack never landed, Nunnally opened her eyes as there was yelp and a crash. She stared at the back of the person in front of her, tipping her head up to meet Akito’s gaze. The varcoloc nodded at her before shoving her away. “Keep going.”

She nodded, dashing to where Rolo was jogging in place, waiting for her. In the world of monsters, she was not going to question Akito’s orders. That could wait until they were clear again. The first thing she would ask him would be how to get out, and then how he got back into Purgatory. It couldn’t have been coincidence that Akito had showed up; the varcolac had been well hidden since the incident.

Rolo grabbed her arm as soon as she passed, the two of them running for the edge of the trees. As they ran, the howls and snarls got softer. Nunnally risked a look back, watching as Akito tossed monsters to the side, wielding a black blade as easily as she and Lelouch handled their weapons. She wanted to shiver, remembering the similar weapons that Lelouch kept at the bottom of his duffel bag and the way he would stroke the bone handle with a wistful expression.

They cleared the trees, still clinging to each other and panting hard. Nunnally brushed her hair out of her face, looking up the rocky cliff to the blue light that was pulsing at the top. That couldn’t be natural, at least to Purgatory. Nunnally went to step forward when someone grabbed her arm.

She spun around to hit them, freezing when she saw that it was Akito. Nunnally reached back to stop Rolo from attacking, narrowing her eyes at the varcolac.

Akito let go of her and lifted his hands in surrender. “Lelouch sent me to find you. But it looks like you would have gotten out fine without me.”

He jerked his head toward the blue light, but Nunnally didn’t turn to look. She was too busy going over what Akito had said.

The varcolac had come into Purgatory to get them, which meant that he had let Lelouch kill him just for this. Akito could have said no and they could have gotten out, but he had saved their lives. There was no telling what else he had kept off their trail.

Nunnally swallowed and nodded, beginning to nudge Rolo up towards the rocks when Akito held out his hand.

“You won’t get him out like that.”

“Then how?”

“There’s a spell, bound by blood.” Nunnally nodded and went to cut her arm, stopping when Akito rested his fingers on her arm. “But I go first. I’m not getting left here.”

Nunnally wanted to refuse. Akito was a monster, he belonged in Purgatory. But, on the other hand, he had laid low. He hadn’t attacked anyone, except for those who had tried to kill him. It wasn’t an excuse for the one dead body that she knew Akito had caused, but it was a point in his favor. He was like some of the others, the ones who just wanted to live a normal life. And he had come after them when he could have walked away. He had no ties to them, no reason to want to help them. But he had allowed himself to come back to Purgatory.

She took a deep breath and cut her arm, holding the weapon out to him. For a moment, Akito hesitated, looking between her and the weapon before the corner of her mouth twitched up. He took the blade from her hand. “Press your arm against mine and repeat what I say. Then do the same with your friend over there.”

“And then what?”

Akito drew the blade up his arm, tilting his arm so the blood wouldn’t drip off quickly. “Walk into that light. Your brother will be waiting for you there.”

He passed the blade back to her, holding out his own arm. Nunnally pressed their arms together, listening carefully to the words that he chanted before repeating them. She flinched back when Akito dissolved into light, blinking quickly when her vision cleared. The varcolac was no longer there.

Nunnally nodded to herself, cutting her other arm. “Come on.”

Rolo followed her lead, dropping the blade to the ground as soon as he was done.

This time, Nunnally kept her eyes shut as she recited the spell, only barely seeing the flash of light as Rolo dissolved. She opened her eyes when it was done, only staying long enough to pick up the weapon again before making a dash for the light.


	47. Chapter 47

Euphemia turned, watching as Suzaku and Lelouch disappeared. She narrowed her eyes, staring at the spot where Naomi had stood.

It didn’t seem right.

She hadn’t been around when they had met Metatron, the angel hiding in the guise of a man named Odysseus, or when Metatron had found Suzaku. She had been too busy recovering from her trip through and then out of Hell. Euphemia rubbed her chest at the memory, sure that she still ached from the repetitive motion of hacking through demons and running as fast as she could. It was a phantom ache, Euphemia had already healed her vessel, but her grace remembered the sensation.

Euphemia swayed in place, torn between two directions.

What she should do was go after Lelouch and Suzaku. Nunnally was in trouble and Nunnally was as much of her charge as Lelouch. She had agreed to that in the moment when she had agreed to help Suzaku fight the civil war. Nunnally’s life should come before anything else.

But then there was Naomi. The angel had never directly hurt her, she had just talked, just explained. There had been nothing beyond what Lelouch had done to any of the people he had manipulated. But Naomi had hurt Suzaku, had worked him over until Suzaku had become the soldier that he had been before any of this all started. Euphemia hadn’t stayed around to see the end, she had just fled to help Lelouch and Nunnally, because she didn’t want to make the choice that Suzaku had been forced to make. Now she regretted it. She hadn’t been important or a danger, so Naomi could have talked to her about her plans.

Euphemia let her hand drop back to her side, nodding to herself. There was one thing that she could do to help them. She would follow the information to the source and figure out what was going on with Naomi. Maybe then they could manage to close Hell as well as save Nunnally.

She took wing, flying up to Heaven and where she usually found Naomi.

Euphemia was prepared to see the white room and Metatron being interrogated, she hadn’t expected anything else from Naomi. Instead, she saw that the white room was a mess, the chairs tossed to one side and the desk pushed almost to the wall. She flung open the door, ducking a swing as Naomi backed past her.

The angel glanced over at her, using the one hand that wasn’t holding her sword to motion away. Euphemia shook her head, looking over to who Naomi was fighting.

Her mouth dropped open as she saw Metatron advancing on her with one of Naomi’s drills. He looked calm and collected compared to Naomi’s panic. Euphemia licked her lips and let her blade slide out. There was no other choice for her in the end. She waited for Metatron to pass her before flying into the room, lunging at his back.

He spun to face her, parrying her attack with a swiftness that she hadn’t expected from a scribe. Euphemia stumbled backwards, jumping to the side to avoid falling over a chair. She settled into a crouch, gripping her sword tightly as she watched Metatron.

She couldn’t see Naomi around him, but she hoped that the other angel would get what she was trying to do. With the two of them, they could kill Metatron and stop him from what he was doing. And then she would get her own chance to save Suzaku after everything that she had done to him. Euphemia nodded to herself, shifting her weight to the balls of her feet, waiting for the attack.

When it came, she twisted to the side, yelping as the drill bit slashed down her arm. Euphemia stumbled back a step, giving Naomi room to dodge in and swipe at Metatron. But the scribe was expecting the attack; Euphemia could tell by the way he shifted easily to the side.

Naomi fell with a shout, her blade clattering off to the side. Metatron stood over her, the drill in hand.

Euphemia lunged forward, forgetting about the battle. They could come back and fight another day, especially when Naomi had allies in Heaven. And they had Suzaku. There were still angels in Heaven that thought that Suzaku could solve their problems. There was a way out for them, even if they won.

She grabbed onto Naomi’s shoulder, taking flight as Metatron came after them again. She felt metal slide along her wing as she took flight, not enough to wound but enough to deflect her course.

Euphemia grunted as she landed heavily in a human’s heaven, closing her eyes as she caught her breath. She was aware that Naomi was pulling at her wrist, Euphemia shaking her off for a moment. She got carefully to her feet, looking around as angels surrounded them. And, by the way that Naomi was acting, they weren’t a friendly faction. Euphemia narrowed her eyes, pushing Naomi behind her and brandishing her blade.

The other angels stopped, but they were just waiting for her to move. They would probably all attack at once and they would aim for Naomi first. Naomi was unarmed and obviously hurt, bleeding from multiple places where Metatron had scored a hit. Euphemia was the only one with a blade, and one blade against ten angels wouldn’t be enough. It was the kind of ambush that only Suzaku or Gino could have gotten out alive. She swallowed and settled into a crouch, feeling Naomi press against her back as they waited for the attack.

—-

Suzaku landed in Naomi’s office, glancing around. Naomi wasn’t there, but everything was in disarray. He frowned, taking a step back as he surveyed the room.

Every time he had been in the room, it had been neat. Now it looked like a disaster area and he could see bits of blood splattered on the floor and on the desk. Even the equipment that Naomi used for interrogations was scattered on the floor, including the drill. Suzaku shivered at the sight of blood on the bit, forcing himself to walk forward. Naomi wasn’t there, so he would be safe, even if it meant that he wouldn’t be getting the information he wanted.

Naomi had said that Metatron was lying, but he wasn’t willing to accept it. Metatron had been the only angel that had told him the truth to him from the beginning. He still had no idea what Naomi had wanted from him, expect that she had wanted the angel tablet and for him to kill Lelouch.

He walked over to the drill, going to crouch beside it when he felt something press against his neck. Suzaku froze, staring at the drill before slowly straightening up, feeling the blade move with him. He clenched his hand into a fist, ready to call on his blade if he got the chance. Then, carefully, he turned his head to see who had him.

Suzaku narrowed his eyes when he saw that Metatron was standing behind him, the angel smiling.

“She told you that I was lying?” Metatron didn’t wait for him to nod, just laughing and pressing the blade against Suzaku’s neck. Under the pressure, Suzaku began to back away, aware that Metatron was moving him back towards the one upright chair left in the room.

He didn’t take his eyes from Metatron, even when he was shoved back into the chair. It was only when the restraints clamped down that Suzaku began to thrash, his mind going back to the last time the chair had been used. Suzaku screamed, arching his back and pressing his wrists against the restraints. Even if his vessel broke, he could just heal it. But he was not going to let himself be used again, it had happened too many times.

Suzaku settled back against the chair, panting for breath. He eyed Metatron as the angel moved around him, attempting to kick him only t miss. Suzaku hissed and tried to push himself upright, his heels pressing against the end of the chair.

Metatron walked over and shoved him back down, Suzaku grunting as he felt ribs break. Metatron just chuckled and patted his chest, Suzaku feeling the ribs knit again. “Don’t struggle so much. You and I have one more thing left to do.”

“Let me go.”

“Don’t you want to know?” Metatron leaned in with a smile. “I would. Then again, I enjoy stories. I enjoy knowing what is going on. You don’t. You’re just a soldier, which is why I needed you. You would never question orders.”

“Let me go.”

“Of course. But I have one thing that I need from you.” Metatron leaned over him, Suzaku gasping as the angel slit his throat. He clawed at the armrests, trying to pull away from Metatron even as his vessel tried to draw in a breath. Suzaku looked over at Metatron, watching as the angel pulled out a small vial. He tried to ask a question, only able to make a soft gargle.

The noise seemed to amuse Metatron, the angel laughing as he held the vial in front of the wound in Suzaku’s throat. “What you were doing was the beginnings of a spell for me, one that will help us all. Heaven isn’t going to close, Suzaku, but the angels are going to learn a lesson. And all I need from you is your essence. After this, you get to live out your life on earth with the humans you value so highly. When you’re done, come and find me. I’ll listen to your story.”

Suzaku coughed weakly, flinching away as Metatron healed the cut in his throat. He tried to sit up, feeling a bit woozy. His head flopped to the side, Suzaku panting for breath as he watched Metatron tuck the vial with his grace away. Suzaku closed his eyes when Metatron patted his head, too weak to pull away any longer.

“Be sure to tell me everything, Suzaku. I’ll be waiting.”

A cool hand was rested on his head, Suzaku gasping as he was sent away. For a moment, he was disoriented, Suzaku automatically trying to correct his flight. There was nothing when he called on it, Suzaku flailing before he landed hard on something. He yelped as his head hit the ground and then he blacked out completely.

—-

Lelouch burst into the old church, not bothering to step around the devil’s trap as he charged for Nunnally. He caught his sister around her waist, pulling her away from Mao. “Nunnally, stop!”

She grabbed onto his arms, Lelouch flinching at the blood that he felt against his arm from the cut on one of her hands. He looked up at her as Nunnally stared back at him, her eyes wide. “What are you doing Lelouch?”

“It’s going to kill you, Nunnally! The trials are going to kill you.”

“So?”

He almost let go of her at that. Lelouch tightened his hold, shaking his head. “No. I’m not going to let you do that.”

“Why not? It’s what we’ve wanted, Lelouch.”

“I want Hell closed, but I want you around after this.”

“After everything that they’ve done-”

“I don’t care! It’s all worth nothing without you Nunnally, _nothing._ ”

She stopped struggling for a moment, her eyes wide. Lelouch swallowed and pressed his forehead against her shoulder. “Please, Nunnally. Don’t make me lose you.”

He was shoved away again, Lelouch letting her go. He stumbled back into one of the walls, staring at his sister as she walked back over to where Mao was slumped in his chains. For a moment, she looked like she was going to ignore him and go through with it, but then she turned.

“Why? After everything that you’ve been telling me, after how hard we’ve been pushing ourselves and Nina, why?”

Lelouch shrugged. “Because it isn’t worth it.”

Nunnally scoffed, her bloodied hand hovering close to Mao’s face. “What part of it? Our mother? Father? Everyone we cared about? What part of it isn’t worth it Lelouch?”

“You dying.”

“I’m not important.”

“Yes you are and I’m not doing this without you Nunnally!” Lelouch slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He stared at his hands, preferring that to his sister. “I tried to live a year without you Nunnally, and it didn’t work. Shirley and I…it was like I was dead already and stuck in Heaven. Part of me enjoyed having that, but I _hated_ it. It wasn’t Shirley and Isabel that I liked; it was the idea of having that. After the Apocalypse, I wanted something normal. I wanted a reward.” Lelouch laughed, aware of how broken it sounded. “But it wasn’t a reward without you. That’s why there’s no light at the end for me, because the end will either be with me dead or you dead. And I can’t have the latter.”

He took a deep breath, watching as his hands shook. “And…I understand why you didn’t look for me, Nunnally. I understand what it feels like to lose everything and just wallow, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it. But…Nunnally, I just-”

Lelouch cut himself off as he heard Nunnally sit down beside him. He glanced over at her, watching as bright light flared in her veins. He winced and looked away, allowing Nunnally to turn his head back to her.

His sister stared at him for a moment before she sighed and slumped. “What do I do about this then?”

“We’ll figure that out. Let your big brother handle this.”

Nunnally shook her head. “You can’t just take control of everything, Lelouch. Let me carry some of the load.” She held out her bloodied hand to him. “Let me help you.”

Lelouch felt the corner of his mouth twitch up into something like a smile, but he didn’t answer. Nunnally probably didn’t need to hear his answer either. They both knew that Lelouch would continue trying to shoulder everything, and Nunnally would continue to stop him. They had always existed like that. He sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cloth and wrapping it around her wound. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Yes.” Nunnally stood up, offering her hand to him. Lelouch took it and hauled himself up, watching as Nunnally swayed for a moment. He reached out for her only to have her push him away. Nunnally shook her head and gestured to where Mao was. “But what about-”

Lelouch lunged forward as Nunnally fell, grabbing his sister around her waist. He buckled under her weight, straining to keep them both upright until Nunnally flickered back into consciousness.

She grabbed at his jacket. “Lelouch? I don’t feel so well.”

“It’s alright.” He turned his head to kiss her temple. “I’ll take care of you.”

She frowned. “You don’t have to.”

“Let me do this one thing. Let me just be your big brother for a while.” He didn’t get a response, Lelouch glancing down at Nunnally before hauling her towards the door.

He could feel her trying to help, but Nunnally just seemed to have the strength to cling to him. Lelouch gritted his teeth, turning so his shoulder would take the brunt of the force of the door. He didn’t know where to turn to fix Nunnally, not after the trials had damaged her. They would have to turn to Nina to find out what happened after they stopped the trials, especially so close to the end. Lelouch couldn’t stomach having to see Nunnally suffering for the rest of her life.

Lelouch lost his hold on her as they stumbled outside, managing to keep Nunnally from falling down the steps. The two of them crumpled to the ground, Lelouch leaning back against the railing as he hauled Nunnally into a sitting position. Maybe he could get something to hold her over, at least until Nina was finished translating what he needed.

“Suzaku! Euphy!” He paused, waiting for the familiar rush of wind and the sounds of wings. When it didn’t come immediately, Lelouch stood up, screaming as loud as he could. “Suzaku! Euphemia!”

When the silence continued, he got ready to try again, stopping as he stared up at the sky. It was lighting up, and it wasn’t sunrise, not for hours. Lelouch dropped to a crouch beside his sister, his mouth dropping open as he saw bright pinpricks of light beginning to form before they resolved themselves into falling stars. He stared at them, trying to count and then giving up as it began to look like it was raining.

Lelouch looked down at Nunnally as she used him to pull herself upright, not minding her grip on his arm. She pressed close to him, staring at the sky as well. “What’s happening?”

Lelouch shook his head, unable to voice his answer. It was too inconceivable to him, especially in such a mass number. Instead, he closed his eyes and pressed his face against Nunnally’s hair, feeling her hold him tighter.

She patted his arm, Lelouch feeling her hands shake when they stopped. “The angels are falling, aren’t they?”

All Lelouch could do was nod.

\---

“C.C, is that you?” She froze as Mao called her name, remaining behind the chair so he couldn’t see her. It didn’t seem to matter to Mao, because he tipped his head to the side, talking like he could see her. “I knew you would come, you couldn’t leave me. I just knew it.”

C.C. sighed and walked around in front of Mao, careful to avoid the devil’s trap spray painted on the ground. She eyed the chains and handcuffs carefully, picking out the sigils. So the Lamperouges had gotten new toys since she had played dead. That was interesting and something to look out for.

She slipped her hands into her pockets, standing in front of Mao. “How did you know that I wasn’t dead?”

“I knew I couldn’t kill you. I just knew it.” Mao beamed up at her, C.C. slightly disturbed by the way that he seemed to mean every word that he was saying. As it was, he was more human than demon. She huffed and rolled her shoulders, barely listening as Mao blundered on.

“I had hoped as much when I stabbed you, because you’re too smart to just die. So I kept going for you, because I knew you were coming back. You’d never leave us, C.C. You’d never leave _me_. You’ve earned your place as the queen as they just have to learn how to see it.” He paused to cough, turning his head. C.C. saw the marks in his neck, Mao turning his head too quickly to count how many. “But they will learn. They’ll learn to be loyal like I am. They’ll learn to love you like I have.”

“Of course, Mao.” She bent down to rest her hand on one of the old floorboards. C.C. paused long enough to check that it would run right to the devil’s trap before yanking it up. She tossed the board to one side, stepping easily into the trap. “You are loyal.”

“And I continued it for you. I found the tablets and I almost got the Lamperouges to surrender. Now they won’t beat us, because Lelouch won’t let anything kill Nunnally.”

“No, he’d never do that.” C.C. reached up to stroke Mao’s hair, ignoring the way that he leaned into the touch. The information was enough to keep her thoughts busy.

The trials would kill Nunnally, which meant that she would never have to worry about them again. Of course, she had been hoping that she would be able to bargain her way out, especially since she had been helping the Lamperouges. It had taken careful planning to never be seen in their way, which was why Mao was such an asset, had been an asset. She didn’t care much for what he had done while she was gone, nor did she care about the way he had seemed so eager to make a deal with Abbadon. C.C. couldn’t bring herself to trust the same creatures it had taken Lucifer to subdue. She didn’t have any plans to let the archangel out of his cage at the moment, nor did she want to. She would be killed immediately for her betrayal.

It would be better to just lay low again, as she had been doing. Something was afoot. She could feel it as a slight buzz under her skin, an itch that she just couldn’t reach. With the trials on hold and Abbadon out in the world, the better option would be to tag along with Lelouch and Nunnally, just until the scales tipped in her favor again.

C.C. took her hand away from Mao’s head, looking down at him. “You did wonderfully, Mao. Everything that I wanted.”

“Thank you.” He held up his hands hopefully. “Will you help me out?”

“Yes.” She leaned forward, placing one hand on his shoulder. “A reward for my most loyal subject.”

Mao smiled and nodded. He was still nodding when C.C. stabbed him in the heart.

She closed her eyes against the flash of light, listening to Mao scream. When she was sure that it was over, she stepped back. For a moment, she wanted to throw the angel blade away, but she stopped herself. She needed a weapon until she could find out what was going on and she bet that Lelouch would enjoy knowing that he was disarming her, at least to the extent of his knowledge. Anything to get her back on to the winning side, where she stood a chance in the end.

C.C. flicked the blood off the blade and walked out of the circle. Even if the Lamperouges came back to finish the trials, they would have to start over with the last one, which would give her time to plan and think. She needed to do that before she rushed into anything else.

She went to stand by one of the stained glass windows, leaning against the wall as she peered out of the one pane that had broken. C.C. had meant to search for a sign that the Lamperouges were still around, since she had just willed herself into the church to answer Mao’s call for help.

All thoughts of searching for Lelouch and Nunnally left her head when she looked up at the sky. The angel blade dropped from her hands as C.C. pressed herself against the window, trying to get a better look as the sky lit up.

——

When it came, it was like a punch to her chest.

Euphemia reeled backwards, knocking into Naomi. She thought she heard the other angel cry out, but she couldn’t be sure, not when her whole body was burning. Euphemia tightened her grip on her sword, resisting the urge to claw at herself. There was nothing there, she was sure of it. There was no wound, no change in her status, just the slow burn of something just beneath her skin.

She looked up, watching as the other angels dropped their blades to stare at themselves. Only then did Euphemia notice the way that they glowed, the shine of their grace rising to the surface of their skin. It was like they were showing off, trying to intimidate her into backing down. But, from the expression on their faces, it wasn’t purposeful.

It reminded her of the moment before an angel died, when their grace rose to the surface, leaving only an empty vessel and ashen wings behind.

Euphemia spun around to look at Naomi, her eyes widening as she saw Naomi glowing as well. She didn’t know what it meant; only that the other angels were distracted and it gave them time to get out. She dropped her sword and reached out for Naomi, only to have the ground jerk from under her.

She heard the other angel’s scream, first in a pitch only other angels could hear and then it suddenly dropped, the sound coming from human vocal chords. Euphemia screamed too, the pain spreading from her chest over her whole body. And then she was falling.

She tried to flap her wings, to right herself as she plummeted to the earth, but she couldn’t feel her wings, couldn’t feel her grace. There was a brief flash above her, Euphemia reaching up for the blue light that spun out from her body, frantically trying to grab at it with all too human fingers. Without her grace there was no way that she was going to survive the fall, no way that she was going to be able to fight demons, no way to protect the Lamperouges. There was no way for her to be _useful_.

Euphemia wailed forlornly, her grace finally slipping away completely, leaving just the burn on her back from where her wings had torn off and burned far ahead of her. She sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself. There was nothing left of her, just a human vessel of a girl who had wanted to please God, and even the human was gone. She had been swallowed by the Leviathans, her soul warped with the rest of Euphemia and then sent to Heaven. Euphemia could only hope that she was safe. She started to mutter out an apology to the young girl, but didn’t get to finish.

She hit the ground hard. Euphemia expected bones to snap, but she just tumbled end over end until she came to a stop. She caught up against a tree, clawing for a hold on the bark so she would have something solid to hold on to. Euphemia rested there for a moment, breathing in the dulled scent of the ground before she began to pull herself upright, leaning on the tree.

The sky was full of falling angels, she noticed that first. Euphemia tipped her head back to watch them streak to earth, most of them dissolving before they hit the ground. They would be reborn, created anew to live a human life. They would never know what they were missing. But the ones who were in vessels, in humans when they had been shoved out of Heaven would know. They would be like her, aching and sore from their missing grace and so vulnerable.

Euphemia shivered and ducked her head. She took a deep breath and let go of the tree, swaying on her feet for a moment before she nodded. She could do this. There was always a place to go when she had gotten into trouble. If she could find Lelouch and Nunnally, then they could find a way to fix it. Just because she had fallen didn’t mean that she didn’t have faith anymore. Out of everything left in her world, she believed in them.

——

Suzaku came to slowly, aching and disoriented. Two things he hadn’t been for a long time. Since he had been falling.

That thought had him scrambling to his feet, Suzaku angrily brushing aside his trenchcoat as it got tangled up around him. He raised one hand to his throat, making sure that it wasn’t still cut before nodding to himself. That much he knew for sure, he was uninjured physically. The rest he didn’t even have to seek out to know. He recognized what it felt like to be without grace.

Suzaku muttered and curse under his breath and spun. He was about to punch a tree before he stopped himself. He was human now, so fragilely human that he didn’t want to risk anything. Until he found help or figured out how to stop Metatron, all he had was the body that was technically his now. At least Suzaku had the advantage there; he knew how to live a human life.

He took a deep breath and turned, running out of the forest. He needed to get to a clear spot, to get his bearings so he could figure out where to go. What he wanted to do was to take flight for Heaven and tear into Metatron himself. He wouldn’t even bother trying to take the angel’s grace away nicely, he would rip it from his body without mercy. Suzaku was tired of being used, of being told only the minimum to fight for a cause that he didn’t know the full extent of. They all thought of him as a soldier, but they didn’t know how long he had been holding himself back.

What he could do was a different matter entirely.

He couldn’t fly back to Heaven, his wings had been stripped from him when Metatron had taken his grace. He couldn’t even return as an angel, all he had was the dim hope that he would die and then remember enough to find Metatron. The only thing left for him to do was to find Lelouch and Nunnally. He was alone and newly fallen, which meant weak and there were many things that he could no longer defend himself against. Suzaku needed friends if he wanted to survive. And he wanted to be able to help Lelouch and Nunnally. They were the only ones he could trust now, and it was habit to find them when he was hurt. Lelouch and Nunnally were safe.

Suzaku swiped at a tree branch, ducking under it before it hit him in the face. He jogged out into the open, taking a deep breath as his lungs protested the run. Giving into his body, he slowed down, taking more deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down. Being human meant having limits, he would have to try and remember them from before. The vessel he had taken, his body now, was young and strong, and he had that in his favor. But none of that would help him if he truly got in trouble.

He stopped in a field, looking around for any sort of landmark. He remembered where he had left Lelouch, but it was another matter entirely of seeing where he fell. Suzaku frowned when nothing came up, scrambling for his pocket. He knew that he had a cell phone, knew that Lelouch’s number was in it. Even if he had never called his friend while he was on the run, Suzaku had put it in there. There was no way that he could just cut Lelouch out of his life, he had tried before but the human was just impossible to get rid of.

The screen lit up, Suzaku breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn’t broken the phone in the fall. He scrolled through his contacts, pausing on Lelouch’s number. He smiled to himself, about to press call when something flashed across the screen of his phone.

Suzaku turned in place, looking up at the sky as more flashes passed. Humans would have called them shooting stars, falling stars. The latter was more correct.

The angels were falling.

Suzaku fell to his knees, ignoring the phone in his hand as he watched the lights in the sky. They were innumerable, uncountable. They were all of Heaven plummeting down to earth and crashing down. All of them for the revenge of one angel. All of them because of him.

Suzaku shook his head, feeling his throat clog up. He had given Metatron _everything_ and now all of Heaven was burning, every member of his family. He had raged against them all before, when he had been shut up by Naomi, but he had never wanted this. Never wanted them all to fall.

When his vision started to blur, Suzaku reached up to wipe the tears away. He wanted to see, wanted to watch. This was his fault and he had to watch the outcome, he had a duty to watch as each angel fell in the vague hope that he would be able to remember where they landed, remember where their grace was. Then, maybe, he would be able to make it up to all of them. Maybe restoring them to Heaven would finally be enough to prove that he was sorry for what he had done.

Suzaku remained kneeling on the ground until the last light had fallen to the ground. Only then did he allow himself to weep.


End file.
